The mission to get 100 women to walk on the Moon - without leaving Earth

The mission to get 100 women to walk on the Moon - without leaving Earth4 days agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRobbie MeredithEducation and arts correspondent, BBC News NIDeby McKnightBetty Campbell celebrated her 90th birthday by donning a spacesuit, moon boots and helmetWomen have never walked on the Moon - until now.And they have done it without leaving earth, or east Belfast.Betty Campbell even celebrated her 90th birthday by donning her spacesuit, moon boots and helmet and doing a moonwalk."I thought I was going to have a happy, quiet birthday but little did I know what a lovely thing was planned," Betty said."It was just so wonderful to be given the opportunity at my age."The surprise moonwalk was all down to Betty's neighbour, artist Deby McKnight.She transformed the living room of her small terraced home into a recreation of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's historic walk onto the Moon in 1969, complete with moon lander, mission plans and a small piece of the Moon itself.Lunar missionJane McKnightBetty's surprise moonwalk was all down to her neighbour, artist Deby McKnightIt all started when a geologist friend told her she could buy a small piece of a lunar meteorite called Bechar 003, so she did.Deby then set herself the target of enabling 100 women to walk on the Moon.So far 44 women have taken the giant step."We know it's a piece of the Moon because [of] the pieces of the Moon that were brought back from the Apollo missions [and] it matches the composition of meteorites that are found on earth," Deby explained.But owning a piece of the Moon gave Deby a much bigger idea.A total of 12 astronauts walked on the Moon during Nasa's Apollo programme between 1969 and 1972, but they were all male."I was just looking at [the piece of the Moon] and going: 'Oh my goodness, women have never walked on the Moon, they've never walked on the Moon'," Deby said."And then it just sudden...