Space

NASA releases space walk footage from astronauts outside the International Space Station

  • The International Space Station is 408 kilometres above earth
  • Only a handful of people have ever been to space
  • One of the astronauts in this clip has performed more space walks than any female astronaut

Published on Feb 14, 2024 at 3:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Tom Wood

Last updated on Feb 14, 2024 at 3:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

NASA released some footage showing exactly what it is like to go on a space walk outside the International Space Station.

You might find it terrifying, or it might be your childhood dream, but either way, we’d all like to see a first-person perspective on what a space walk actually looks like.

Well, a few years ago NASA released a fascinating video that takes us right into the thick of it.

READ MORE: Tool bag dropped in space is orbiting Earth at 17,000mph

The International Space Station is 408 kilometres above earth. Credit: NASA
NASA

The space walk was performed in 2017 by astronauts, Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough, with Whitson wearing the camera on her suit for the job.

They were tasked with doing some work on a particular module of the International Space Station, and therefore had to step out into the abyss to get it done.

When outside in space 408 kilometres above earth for a period of time, astronauts can experience vast differences in temperature ranging from -250 Fahrenheit in shade to 250 Fahrenheit in sunlight.

That highlights the intelligence of the technology that goes into creating the apparatus that the space explorers wear, as well as the bravery of the people inside the suits.

During this space walk, something went wrong, and one of the shields went down.

Luckily, it posed no danger to the astronauts, but these things – and others we never find out about – can happen up there.

Whilst the astronauts can be as prepared as they like, they have to constantly expect the unexpected when outside their craft.

In fact, it’s said that astronauts come back to Earth in a physically altered state – the same can happen underwater.

In the end, the mission was a success, and NASA was later able to share the footage online.

It gave us civilians a glimpse into the reality of life working out in the darkness and weightlessness of space near the International Space Station.

The astronauts were scheduled for a 6.5 hour space walk. Credit: NASA

Their space walk on 30 March, 2017 was scheduled to take 6.5 hours, giving the pair time to prepare a docking port for an arriving craft, as well as performing maintenance.

Whitson was performing her eighth space walk, taking her beyond the 50-hour and 40 minute record for a female astronaut.

However, during their walk, a debris shield bag weighing eight kilogrammes came loose and sailed off into space.

NASA were quick to confirm that it posed no danger to the astronauts, but didn’t say why the shield bag came off.

Undeterred, the two astronauts ploughed on with their work, eventually installing three more debris shields in that space walk, as well as putting on a temporary fix for the one they lost.

Do you think you’d be able to be that calm under pressure?

There are many dangers out in space, including extreme hot and cold temperatures. Credit: NASA

To be honest, most of us wouldn’t be able to remain calm at any point up in space.

It does seem pretty scary up there.

If ever you needed a video to remind you of the bravery of astronauts, pushing humanity out into the unknown, this is it.

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Tom started his journalism career soon after completing a Masters degree at the University of Salford. Since then, he’s covered a bit of everything – sport, celebrity and world news.