When people go on a space mission, they sometimes go outside the spacecraft. This is called a spacewalk. Read about four noteworthy spacewalks in history.
First Spacewalk
On March 18, 1965, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (above) floated outside Russia’s Voskhod 2 craft. His walk lasted about 12 minutes.
First U.S. Spacewalk
American Edward H. White took his walk on June 3, 1965. He spent 36 minutes outside Gemini 4.
First Untethered Spacewalk
American Bruce McCandless walked unconnected to the craft on February 7, 1984. It was a “big leap,” he said.
Longest Spacewalk
On March 11, 2001, Americans Susan Helms and James Voss walked for nearly nine hours. Theirs is still the longest spacewalk.
More from History
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