Top 10 Most Iconic Spacewalks in Human History

On June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to perform a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. This 21-minute EVA marked a significant milestone in the US space program.

Ed White’s 1st American Spacewalk (1965)

(Image: NASA)

On June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to perform a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. This 21-minute EVA marked a significant milestone in the US space program.

Ed White’s 1st American Spacewalk (1965)

(Image: NASA)

Just a few months before Ed White’s spacewalk, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performed the first-ever spacewalk on March 18, 1965, during the Voskhod 2 mission.

Alexei Leonov’s First Spacewalk (1965)

(Image: NASA)

On February 7, 1984, Bruce McCandless became the first person to perform an untethered spacewalk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) during the STS-41B mission.

Bruce McCandless’ Untethered Spacewalk (1984)

(Image: NASA)

On October 11, 1984, Kathy Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a spacewalk during the STS-41G mission.

Sullivan’s First American Woman Spacewalk (1984)

(Image: NASA)

In December 1993, NASA astronauts performed a series of spacewalks to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, revolutionizing our understanding of the universe.

Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission (1993)

(Image: NASA)

On August 30, 2012, Sunita Williams set the record for the most time spent on spacewalks by a female astronaut, with a total of 50 hours and 40 minutes.

Sunita Williams’ Record-Breaking Spacewalk (2012)

(Image: NASA)

On November 21, 2012, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed a spacewalk during the STS-135 mission, marking a significant moment for Canadian space exploration.

Chris Hadfield’s Spacewalk for Canada (2012)

(Image: NASA)

On July 16, 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano performed an emergency spacewalk to repair a malfunctioning spacesuit, demonstrating the importance of quick thinking in space.

 Luca Parmitano’s Emergency Spacewalk (2013)

(Image: NASA)

From March 2015 to March 2016, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year in space, performing multiple spacewalks and setting a new record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut.

Scott Kelly’s Year-Long Spacewalk (2015-2016)

(Image: NASA)