Space Walk on a Planet

The thought of space travel has always fascinated me. From Yuri Gagarin making that first trip into the unknown, I have followed the events of space exploration. I wouldn't be able to be an astronaut myself because I'm claustrophobic and I would suffer from motion sickness. It would be terrific to go on a space walk. The very idea seems absurd, just going for a stroll in space, but quite a few people have done it now. There have been some minor mishaps but no fatalities, which make it the safest form of travel in history!

There are two methods of EVA, as it's otherwise known. The tethered technique, also known as umbilical, means that the astronaut is connected to the spacecraft and oxygen is fed through a tube to him or her. Some space walk missions have been of the untethered variety, an even more ambitious exercise.

It must be a stressful operation for the astronaut but they are professionals who have been trained to keep their emotions in check. However, the real thing must seem very different from any simulation they've done. It must be frightening and thrilling to really be in space, with nothing but a spacesuit between you and the stars. There are a number of potential dangers when undertaking a space walk, and they have never been done for their own sake. A space walk will be done if necessary repairs are needed or if a part of the spacecraft needs inspection.

Space debris is a problem, and minute particles colliding with an astronaut could prove fatal. Astronauts could become separated from the spacecraft or their spacesuit could be punctured. This could result in the suit being depressurized, which would quickly cause death. Other problems with the spacesuit during a space walk could result in an astronaut getting the bends, rather like a deep-sea diver.  All these dangers show how brave the astronauts are.

The first EVA was achieved by a cosmonaut named Aleksei Leonov in March 1965. This was followed by the first American space walk in June 1965, by Edward White during the Gemini 4 mission. The first untethered space walk was by Bruce McCandless II as part of a Challenger mission in 1984. The first space walk by a woman took place in the same year, when cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya stepped outside for a while.

Despite the excellent safety record of EVA's, scientists are trying to invent a robot, which could perform the tasks required on a space walk. This would be regrettable in a way, if we had no more footage of astronauts and cosmonauts in space.  These few people have really had an incredible experience to share with the rest of us.

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