“That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.” Carl Sagan wrote this about a photo sent back from Voyager 1 in 1990 of Earth from 4 billion miles away. For a few brief moments in the grand history of our planet, it wasn’t true.
Since the dawn of space exploration, humans have wanted to explore the vastness of space. We may not be at the stage of galavanting to other planets and galaxies, we have taken our first steps into the vast unknown. This project catalogs the milestones achieved since 1965 when a lucky few were able to “walk” in space or even on the moon and prove Carl wrong, if only temporarily.
Length of spacewalk
- <1hr
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- 8–9hrs
This footprint is a spacewalk
Each footprint that appears represents another. Keep scrolling to see key spacewalking milestones.
Spacewalk #1
First spacewalk and first Soviet Union spacewalk
Leonov conducted the first EVA in history. Leonov had difficulty fitting back into the spacecraft due to spacesuit stiffness in vacuum, and vented air from his spacesuit in order to bend back into the capsule.
Mission: Voskhod 2
Spacewalkers: Alexey Leonov (Soviet Union)
Mar 18, 1965 8:34 am UTC, 12 mins 9 secs
Image: collectSPACE
Spacewalk #2
First US spacewalk
White conducted the second EVA in history and the first American EVA. White also had difficulty returning to the Gemini spacecraft. Although he was very fit and athletic, the effort left him exhausted.
Mission: Gemini 4
Spacewalkers: Ed White (United States)
Jun 3, 1965 7:46 pm UTC, 20 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA / James McDivitt
Spacewalk #11
First two-person spacewalk
Khrunov and Yeliseyev conducted the first two-man spacewalk. Both cosmonauts launched in Soyuz 5, which then docked with Soyuz 4. Khrunov and Yeliseyev performed an EVA to transfer to Soyuz 4. Although docked together, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 did not make an internal connection, necessitating the EVA. Khrunov and Yeliseyev returned to Earth aboard Soyuz 4.
Mission: Soyuz 4, Soyuz 5
Spacewalkers: Yevgeny Khrunov (Soviet Union), Aleksei Yeliseyev (Soviet Union)
Jan 16, 1969 12:43 pm UTC, 32 mins 0 secs
Image: Lunokhod 2
Spacewalk #13
First moonwalk
Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. Aldrin followed, describing the Moon as "magnificent desolation." During their 2½ hour EVA, the team deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experimental Package, took a call from President Nixon, collected rock and core samples, raised a US Flag, and took photographs. Armstrong reported moving around on the Moon was easier than the simulation.
Mission: Apollo 11
Spacewalkers: Neil Armstrong (United States), Buzz Aldrin (United States)
Jul 21, 1969 2:39 am UTC, 2 hrs 31 mins 40 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #22
First deep space EVA
First ever deep space EVA. Worden made three trips to the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) on the Service Module to recover the film cassettes from the panoramic and mapping cameras and to examine the SIM for anomalies. Irwin stood in the hatch to assist and photograph the spacewalk.
Mission: Apollo 15
Spacewalkers: James Irwin (United States), Alfred Worden (United States)
Aug 5, 1971 3:31 pm UTC, 39 mins 7 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #45
First shuttle spacewalk
Musgrave and Peterson conducted the first spacewalk from a Space Shuttle. They spent their time testing their spacesuits and tools for future space construction.
Mission: STS-6
Spacewalkers: Story Musgrave (United States), Donald Peterson (United States)
Apr 7, 1983 9:05 pm UTC, 4 hrs 10 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #48
First untethered EVA
McCandless and Stewart rode on the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) during the first untethered EVAs in history. Both astronauts practiced using tools and procedures for the planned capture and repair of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite to be performed in a subsequent flight.
Mission: STS-41-B
Spacewalkers: Bruce McCandless II (United States), Robert Stewart (United States)
Feb 7, 1984 12:10 pm UTC, 5 hrs 55 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #57
First woman to perform an EVA
Savitskaya and Dzhanibekov tested the URI multi-purpose tool with several metal samples. Savitskaya became the first woman in history to perform an EVA.
Mission: Salyut 7
Spacewalkers: Vladimir Dzhanibekov (Soviet Union), Svetlana Savitskaya (Soviet Union)
Jul 25, 1984 2:55 pm UTC, 3 hrs 34 mins 0 secs
Image: AmericaSpace
Spacewalk #62
First unplanned spacewalk
Griggs and Hoffman installed an improvised switch-pulling tool, called the "flyswatter", on Discovery's RMS robotic arm. The "flyswatter" was used in an effort to push the sequencer start lever on the Syncom IV-3 satellite in the proper position for deployment. This attempted repair was the first unplanned spacewalk in NASA history.
Mission: STS-51-D
Spacewalkers: S. David Griggs (United States), Jeffrey Hoffman (United States)
Apr 16, 1985 12:00 am UTC, 3 hrs 6 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #68
First spacewalk for Mir
Kizim and Solovyov retrieved test panels from the outside of Salyut 7 and assembled a test "girder-constructor" apparatus in preparation for work on Mir.
Mission: Salyut 7
Spacewalkers: Leonid Kizim (Soviet Union), Vladimir Solovyov (Soviet Union)
May 28, 1986 5:43 am UTC, 3 hrs 50 mins 0 secs
Image: Space.com
Spacewalk #76
First French spacewalk and first international team spacewalk
The first EVA by a French citizen commenced when Volkov and Chrétien ventured outside Mir to install hardware and experiments. The Soviet-French spacewalking team installed handrails, installed and wired the Enchantillons rack, and installed the ERA experimental package. At first, the ERA package failed to unfold when commanded from inside Mir. A swift kick from Volkov was needed for it to properly unfold.
Mission: Mir PE-4
Spacewalkers: Jean-Loup Chrétien (France), Alexander Volkov (Soviet Union)
Dec 9, 1988 9:57 am UTC, 6 hrs 0 mins 0 secs
Image: ESA
Spacewalk #97
First Russian spacewalk
Volkov and Krikalev performed maintenance activities on the outside of Mir, including cleaning camera lenses. Volkov had problems with the cooling system on his Orlan space suit, and was limited in his mobility.
Mission: Mir PE-10
Spacewalkers: Sergei Krikalev (Russia), Alexander Volkov (Russia)
Feb 20, 1992 8:09 pm UTC, 4 hrs 12 mins 0 secs
Image: Space Facts
Spacewalk #100
First three-person spacewalk. New longest spacewalk duration.
Thuot, Hieb and Akers captured Intelsat VI with their hands. The trio then pulled the satellite into the payload bay, added a new perigee kick motor, and launched the satellite away from Endeavour. This spacewalk was the first three-person spacewalk in history. The three spacewalkers also set a new record for elapsed spacewalk time.
Mission: STS-49
Spacewalkers: Thomas Akers (United States), Richard Hieb (United States), Pierre Thuot (United States)
May 13, 1992 9:17 pm UTC, 8 hrs 29 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #112
First preparation for Hubble repair
Newman and Walz carried out tests on tools, tethers, and a foot restraint system in anticipation of the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. A stuck tool chest lid slowed the closeout of spacewalk for at least 45 minutes.
Mission: STS-51
Spacewalkers: James Newman (United States), Carl Walz (United States)
Sep 16, 1993 8:40 am UTC, 7 hrs 5 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #125
First African-American spacewalk
Foale and Harris conducted a test of moving large mass objects. They also tested the effectiveness of new spacesuit temperature control underwear by being lofted outside the payload bay by the RMS. Harris was the first African-American to perform an EVA.
Mission: STS-63
Spacewalkers: Michael Foale (United States), Bernard Harris (United States)
Feb 9, 1995 11:56 am UTC, 4 hrs 39 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #135
First European and German spacewalk
Reiter completed the first European Space Agency EVA. Avdeyev and Reiter used the Strela boom to move to the Spektr module. Afterwards they installed several experiments on the European Space Exposure Facility before returning to the airlock.
Mission: Mir PE-20
Spacewalkers: Sergei Avdeyev (Russia), Thomas Reiter (Germany)
Oct 20, 1995 11:50 am UTC, 5 hrs 16 mins 0 secs
Image: ESA
Spacewalk #156
First spacewalk in American and Russian spacesuits
Solovyev rode the Strela crane to Spektr to inspect it for damage. Foale operated the Strela from the Mir base block. Although Solovyev made an extensive documentation and search of Spektr, he was unable to find the hole created by the runaway Progress M-34 spacecraft. Before he returned to the airlock, Foale collected the radiation dosimeter installed outside earlier. Foale became the first person to conduct EVAs in both American and Russian spacesuits.
Mission: Mir PE-24
Spacewalkers: Michael Foale (United States), Anatoly Solovyev (Russia)
Sep 6, 1997 1:07 am UTC, 6 hrs 0 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #161
First Asian and Japanese spacewalk
Scott and Doi captured the Spartan satellite by hand and secured it in the payload bay. Then the spacewalking team set up and tested a crane that would be used to construct the International Space Station. Doi was the first Japanese astronaut to perform an EVA, and the first EVA performed from Space Shuttle Columbia.
Mission: STS-87
Spacewalkers: Takao Doi (Japan), Winston Scott (United States)
Nov 25, 1997 12:02 am UTC, 7 hrs 43 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #175
First French spacewalk
Afanasyev and Haigneré recovered experiments from the exterior of Mir and installed other experiments on the station's outer surface.
Mission: Mir PE-27
Spacewalkers: Victor Afanasyev (Russia), Jean-Pierre Haigneré (France)
Apr 16, 1999 4:37 am UTC, 6 hrs 19 mins 0 secs
Image: Space Relics
Spacewalk #180
First Swiss spacewalk
Foale and Nicollier replaced the main computer on Hubble with a new, faster machine. They also swapped out one of Hubble's three Fine Guidance Sensors for a refurbished one that had been previously removed from Hubble and serviced on Earth.
Mission: STS-103
Spacewalkers: Michael Foale (United States), Claude Nicollier (Switzerland)
Dec 23, 1999 7:06 pm UTC, 8 hrs 10 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #182
Last Mir spacewalk
Kaleri and Zalyotin tested a leak sealant and inspected a malfunctioning solar panel on Kvant-1. A final photographic record of the outer surfaces of Mir was made during a panoramic inspection.
Mission: Mir PE-28
Spacewalkers: Alexander Kaleri (Russia), Sergei Zalyotin (Russia)
May 12, 2000 10:44 am UTC, 4 hrs 52 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #194
100th US spacewalk
Jones and Curbeam attached a spare communications antenna to the station's exterior, double-checked connections between the Destiny lab and its docking port, released the restraints on a station cooling radiator, inspected solar array connections at the top of the station, and tested a technique for a spacewalker to carry an incapacitated crew member to the shuttle airlock. This was the 100th U.S. spacewalk.
Mission: STS-98
Spacewalkers: Robert Curbeam (United States), Thomas Jones (United States)
Feb 14, 2001 2:48 pm UTC, 5 hrs 25 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #195
Longest spacewalk in shuttle history
Voss and Helms prepared Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 for repositioning from Unity’s Earth-facing berth to the port-side berth to make room for Leonardo, the Italian Space Agency-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. They also removed a Lab Cradle Assembly from Discovery's payload bay and installed it on the side of Destiny, and installed a cable tray to Destiny for later use by the station’s robot arm (Canadarm2). After re-entering the shuttle's airlock, Voss and Helms remained ready to assist if any troubles installing the docking port were encountered by the crew inside the shuttle. This was the longest space walk in shuttle history.
Mission: STS-102
Spacewalkers: Susan Helms (United States), James Voss (United States)
Mar 11, 2001 5:12 am UTC, 8 hrs 56 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #197
First Canadian spacewalk
Hadfield and Parazynski installed the station's UHF antenna, and the Canadian Space Agency-made Canadarm2. They connected cables to give the arm power and allow it to accept computer commands from inside the Destiny lab. Hadfield became the first Canadian spacewalker.
Mission: STS-100
Spacewalkers: Chris Hadfield (Canada), Scott Parazynski (United States)
Apr 22, 2001 11:45 am UTC, 7 hrs 10 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #257
First Swedish spacewalk
Curbeam and Fuglesang installed the ISS P5 Truss, replaced a broken video camera on the S1 truss, and prepared the new truss for relocation of the P6 truss to its permanent location.
Mission: STS-116
Spacewalkers: Robert Curbeam (United States), Chister Fuglesang (Sweden)
Dec 12, 2006 8:31 pm UTC, 6 hrs 36 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #260
Most spacewalks in a single shuttle mission
Curbeam and Fuglesang assisted ground controllers with retracting the P6 solar array panels in preparation for moving them during the upcoming flight STS-120. Curbeam, on his seventh spacewalk, set a single-flight EVA record with four spacewalks in a single shuttle mission.
Mission: STS-116
Spacewalkers: Robert Curbeam (United States), Chister Fuglesang (Sweden)
Dec 18, 2006 7:00 pm UTC, 6 hrs 38 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #298
First Chinese spacewalk
This was the first EVA conducted by China. Zhai collected an experimental package from the outside of the spacecraft and waved a Chinese flag towards a TV camera. Liu supported Zhai's activities while standing in the hatchway.
Mission: Shenzhou 7
Spacewalkers: Liu Boming (China), Zhai Zhigang (China)
Sep 27, 2008 8:38 am UTC, 22 mins 0 secs
Image: Space Facts
Spacewalk #312
Final spacewalk to service Hubble telescope
The twenty third and final spacewalk to service Hubble and last planned EVA from the Shuttle airlock replaced the final battery module, installed Fine Guidance Sensor No. 3, removed degraded insulation panels from bays 8, 5 and 7, and installed three New Outer Blanket Layer (NOBL)s in their place, and removed and reinstalled a protective cover around Hubble's low-gain antenna.
Mission: STS-125
Spacewalkers: Andrew Feustel (United States), John Grunsfeld (United States)
May 18, 2009 1:20 pm UTC, 7 hrs 2 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #348
Final spacewalk of the space shuttle program
Stowed OBSS on right-side truss. Retrieved grapple from left-side truss to replace grapple currently on boom. Released restraints from one of Dextre's spare arms. Replaced thermal insulation on spare gas tank for the Quest airlock. ISS assembly completed.
Mission: STS-134
Spacewalkers: Gregory Chamitoff (United States), Michael Fincke (United States)
May 27, 2011 4:15 am UTC, 7 hrs 24 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #359
First Italian spacewalk
Replaced a failed Space-to-Ground Transmitter Receiver Controller and the Mobile Base Camera Light Pan-Tilt Assembly, retrieved the MISSE-8 and ORMatE-III experiments, photographed the AMS-02, moved two Radiator Grapple Bars to either sides of the truss, routed power cables to support the addition of the new Russian MLM and installed a multi-layer insulation cover to protect the docking interface of PMA-2.
Mission: ISS Expedition 36
Spacewalkers: Christopher Cassidy (United States), Luca Parmitano (Italy)
Jul 9, 2013 12:02 pm UTC, 6 hrs 7 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #363
First time Olympic torch in space
Took the Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games to the outside of ISS. They also continued work on an extravehicular activity workstation and biaxial pointing platform by removing launch brackets and bolts, as well as retrieving an experimental package. The planned installation of a foot restraint on the mounting seat of the workstation was deferred to a future spacewalk after the spacewalkers noticed some issues with its alignment.
Mission: ISS Expedition 37
Spacewalkers: Oleg Kotov (Russia), Sergei Ryazanski (Russia)
Nov 9, 2013 2:34 pm UTC, 5 hrs 50 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #381
First British spacewalk
Replaced a failed voltage regulator responsible for shutting down one of the station's eight power channels in November 2015, and routed cables in support of the installation of the International Docking Adaptor. EVA terminated two hours early due to water leakage in Kopra's helmet, but the primary task was accomplished.
Mission: ISS Expedition 46
Spacewalkers: Timothy Kopra (United States), Tim Peake (United Kingdom)
Jan 15, 2016 1:48 pm UTC, 4 hrs 43 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA
Spacewalk #400
Latest spacewalk
Feustel and Arnold installed new high-definition cameras near IDA 2 mated to the front end of the station’s Harmony module. The astronauts also swapped out a camera assembly on the starboard truss of the station used to film NASA TV and closed an aperture door on the CATS experiment outside the Japanese Kibo module in preparation for disposal on SpaceX CRS 15 and replacement by its successor ECOSTRESS. During the spacewalk Feustel beat Jerry Ross, his STS 125 crewmate Dr. John Grunsfeld, Fyoder Yurchikhin, and Peggy Whitson to become third on the list of all time space walkers.
Mission: ISS Expedition 55
Spacewalkers: Richard Arnold (United States), Andrew Feustel (United States)
Jun 14, 2018 1:06 pm UTC, 6 hrs 49 mins 0 secs
Image: NASA Johnson
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