A spacewalk is when an astronaut leaves their spacecraft and floats outside in the vacuum of space, protected only by a spacesuit. The technical term is extravehicular activity, or EVA, but everyone calls it a spacewalk even though astronauts don't actually walk. They float weightlessly while tethered to their spacecraft by strong cables.

During a spacewalk, astronauts might repair damaged equipment, install new scientific instruments, or conduct experiments that can't be done inside. The first person to spacewalk was Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov in 1965, who spent just twelve minutes outside his capsule. Today's spacewalks can last six or seven hours, with astronauts working carefully in bulky suits that provide oxygen, regulate temperature, and protect against deadly radiation and extreme temperatures.

Spacewalks require intense preparation. Astronauts practice for months underwater in giant pools, where the buoyancy mimics weightlessness. They memorize every step of their tasks because even simple repairs become challenging when you're wearing thick gloves and can't put tools down without them floating away. One small tear in a spacesuit could be fatal, so astronauts move deliberately and follow procedures exactly. Despite the dangers, astronauts often describe spacewalks as the most magnificent experience of their careers: working among the stars with Earth spinning silently below.