The Experience of Being in Space

In this section, the speaker describes their experience of being in space and the feeling of looking down at Earth.

Looking Down at Earth

• The speaker describes looking down at Earth while in space.

• They talk about how it felt to have the whole universe in front of them when they opened the hatch.

• The speaker reflects on how being in space made them feel truly alone but also provided a magical experience.

Spacewalking and Exploration

• The speaker discusses the importance of training and experience for humans to go out on spacewalks and explore new situations.

• They mention the use of new technology for exploring Mars and how humans are standing on the shoulders of giants when making new discoveries.

• The speaker talks about how fear drove human space flight after Sputnik went overhead, leading to a sprint to land on the moon within a decade.

Early Space Missions

• The speaker reflects on America's initial crewed missions known as Project Mercury, followed by Project Gemini that led to Apollo missions and landing on the moon.

• They discuss Soviet cosmonauts' work to extend space flight duration, improve rendezvous techniques, and develop extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk capability.

• The first successful EVA was achieved by cosmonaut Alexey Leonov in 1965, who had difficulty getting back into the spacecraft due to his pressurized spacesuit.

Gemini 4 Mission

• The Gemini 4 mission aimed to gather results of an extended four-day mission on both crew and spacecraft.

The Evolution of Spacewalks

This section discusses the evolution of spacewalks, starting with Ed White's first American spacewalk and continuing through the Gemini and Apollo programs.

Ed White's Spacewalk

• At 2:46 P.M. Eastern Time on June 3, 1965, using a handheld gas gun, White became the first American astronaut to complete a spacewalk.

• White's walk in space was described as "spectacular" and set the stage for future EVA procedures.

• The Gemini program continued to refine and extend EVA procedures as more astronauts followed with tethered spacewalks in Earth's orbit.

Challenges of Early Spacewalks

• Early EVAs were not very productive due to difficulties with maneuvering in zero gravity conditions.

• Crew members had difficulty performing tasks during early EVAs because they didn't have anything to hold onto.

• The Apollo suits were custom made for each crew member and provided better mobility than previous suits.

First Steps on the Moon

• On July 21st, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin performed the first steps on the lunar surface.

• Armstrong's walk on the moon was described as "the ultimate spacewalk."

• Lunar dust was one of the biggest problems encountered on the surface of the moon due to its texture.

Conclusion

The evolution of spacewalking technology has come a long way since Ed White's historic walk in 1965. From early challenges with maneuvering in zero gravity conditions to custom-made suits that provide better mobility, astronauts have continued to push boundaries and explore the vastness of space.

Spacewalking and EVA

In this section, the speaker talks about the evolution of spacewalking and extravehicular activity (EVA) from the Apollo program to the Shuttle program. The importance of EVA in saving missions is also highlighted.

Evolution of Spacewalking and EVA

• In the Skylab program, astronauts were on an umbilical that provided all their life support. In contrast, in the Shuttle program, they went back to riding a backpack but integrated it with the suit itself.

• The zipper was done away with in the Shuttle program. This was important because spacewalking has saved some programs such as Skylab where astronauts had to go outside in their spacesuits to perform extravehicular activity and literally saved Skylab.

• The manned maneuvering unit was developed which demonstrated on several flights and used in some cases. Doing the first fully untethered spacewalk led to equipment tests that would lead to retrieving stranded satellites on subsequent missions years later.

• Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space followed by Kathryn Sullivan who became the first female American astronaut to perform a spacewalk.

Importance of EVA

• Spacewalking has saved some programs such as Skylab where astronauts had to go outside in their spacesuits, perform extravehicular activity, and literally saved Skylab. Without EVA, Skylab would have not been habitable.

• Extravehicular activity became one of the space traveler's most exciting and necessary tools in his or her tool belt.

• Complicated missions and space program-saving maneuvers are at the essence of NASA's extravehicular activity.

Spacewalks: The Choreography of EVA

In this section, the speaker talks about how spacewalkers work together as a team and the roles of different crew members during a spacewalk.

Working as a Coherent Team

• Spacewalkers learn to work as a very coherent team.

• They understand each other's moves and know where they're supposed to be.

• A robotic operator generally moves one of the crew members around on a robotic arm.

• The intravehicular crew member is the choreographer who directs everyone on how to perfect their moves.

Support from Earth

• Back on Earth in the Mission Control Center, there is an extravehicular controller who oversees the spacewalk.

• There are thousands of people supporting the development of spacewalk procedures and hundreds involved in each spacewalk.

• People all over the world are evaluating data from the astronauts during a spacewalk.

Training for Success

In this section, the speaker talks about how astronauts prepare for spacewalks and deal with potential mistakes.

Perfect Preparation

• Astronaut training involves laying out everything perfectly, down to which pocket every pen goes in.

• Astronaut mantra is to train, test, and think carefully before fixing any problems that arise.

Fear of Failure

• The biggest fear for many astronauts is not getting hurt but making mistakes because everyone is watching.

Final Thoughts

In this section, the speaker talks about the successful completion of five back-to-back spacewalks during the final Hubble serving mission.

Successful Mission

• The STS-125 crew completed five back-to-back spacewalks and left Hubble in incredible shape.

• They did a tremendous service to planetary science, astrophysics, and just the field.

Spacewalks and the Hubble Space Telescope

In this section, astronaut Luca Parmitano talks about his experience with spacewalking and how it felt to work on the Hubble Space Telescope.

The awe of spacewalking

• Luca Parmitano describes a moment during a spacewalk where he was holding onto a handrail and looking at the Earth go by behind the Hubble Space Telescope. He felt a sense of awe at being able to do such incredible things in space.

• He also notes that while he didn't feel lonely, he did realize how far away they were from Earth's atmosphere, their homes, and their companions inside the shuttle.

• Parmitano explains that working on the Hubble required fine motor skills and was almost like doing surgery in a spacesuit. This is different from working on the International Space Station (ISS), which involves moving larger objects around.

The importance of spacewalks

• According to Parmitano, every single EVA (extravehicular activity or "spacewalk") is an important and necessary component of building structures like the ISS.

• Building the ISS was very EVA-intensive, with many EVAs required for construction. Despite initial doubts about whether they could accomplish everything needed, they were able to build an incredible structure through teamwork and hard work.

The danger of spacewalking

• While spacewalking may look fun, Parmitano emphasizes that it can be dangerous. During one of his EVAs, he unexpectedly felt cold water on the back of his head. He contacted Houston for advice but there wasn't much information available about what was happening inside his suit.

• Eventually, the ground decided to terminate the EVA for safety reasons. Parmitano had to travel back to the airlock with water sloshing around in his helmet, which was a scary and isolating experience.

Learning to Navigate in Space

In this section, the speaker talks about how he was able to navigate his way back to the airlock of the space station despite being blinded by water in his helmet. He attributes his success to the hundreds of hours spent training on Earth.

Training for Spacewalks

• The speaker and his team spent hundreds of hours training on Earth.

• They learned how to use their spacesuits, navigate, and understand the configuration of the space station.

• This training helped him find his way back to the airlock even when he was blinded by water in his helmet.

Finding His Way Back

• Despite being blinded by water in his helmet, he was able to find his way back to the airlock.

• Once he found it, everything became easier because it was illuminated.

• He felt relieved and happy when he saw his crewmates waiting for him at the airlock.

Moving Beyond Low Earth Orbit

In this section, the speaker discusses NASA's plans for moving beyond low Earth orbit and exploring deeper into space.

Proving Ground for Deep Space Exploration

• The International Space Station is being used as a proving ground for deep space exploration.

• NASA plans to migrate out over the next five to ten years into repositioning humanity in lunar orbit.

Challenges of Operating in Low Gravity Environments

• Operating in low gravity or no gravity environments will be significantly different than operating here on Earth or low Earth orbit.

• NASA is developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to overcome the challenges of operating in low gravity environments.

Exploring Mars

• NASA plans to explore Mars and search for life.

• Operating on Mars will require a new type of spacesuit that is lightweight and mobile.

• The mission to Mars will be akin to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.