Spacewalks: Astronauts Working Outside the Station

A spacewalk, or EVA (extravehicular activity), is when astronauts leave their spacecraft to work in open space.
The first spacewalk was done by Alexei Leonov in 1965, lasting just 12 minutes.
Astronauts wear space suits that act as personal spacecraft, providing oxygen and protection.
Spacewalks are vital for repairing satellites, maintaining the ISS, and testing new technology.
The longest spacewalk to date lasted 8 hours and 56 minutes.
Tools are specially designed to work in bulky gloves and microgravity.
Astronauts tether themselves to avoid drifting away into space.
Spacewalk training takes place in giant underwater pools on Earth, like NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
The ISS has hosted over 250 spacewalks since its assembly began.
Future lunar and Mars missions will rely heavily on spacewalks for exploration and construction.