What problem did Leonov face during his spacewalk?

His suit ballooned and he struggled to get back in

Why do astronauts breathe pure oxygen before spacewalks?

To remove nitrogen and avoid the bends

Spacewalks Quiz: 10 Questions That Test What You Know

This spacewalks quiz covers Alexei Leonov's first spacewalk, Ed White, Bruce McCandless's untethered flight, Svetlana Savitskaya, the first all-female spacewalk, record-long EVAs and how spacesuits keep astronauts alive. Ten questions test what you know.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

First
Who made the first spacewalk in 1965?
Suit
What problem did Leonov face during his spacewalk?
American
Who was the first American to walk in space?
Term
What does EVA stand for?
Untethered
Who made the first untethered spacewalk in 1984?
Woman
Who was the first woman to walk in space, in 1984?
All-female
When was the first all-female spacewalk?
Longest
About how long was the longest spacewalk, in 2001?
Private
In 2024, the first commercial spacewalk was made during which mission?
Breathing
Why do astronauts breathe pure oxygen before spacewalks?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who made the first spacewalk in 1965?
Answer: Alexei Leonov
He was outside his Voskhod 2 spacecraft for about 12 minutes.
Q2: What problem did Leonov face during his spacewalk?
Answer: His suit ballooned and he struggled to get back in
He let air out of his suit to fit through the hatch.
Q3: Who was the first American to walk in space?
Answer: Ed White
He used a hand-held gas gun to move around in 1965.
Q4: What does EVA stand for?
Answer: Extravehicular activity
It means any activity outside a spacecraft.
Q5: Who made the first untethered spacewalk in 1984?
Answer: Bruce McCandless II
He used a jet pack called the MMU.
Q6: Who was the first woman to walk in space, in 1984?
Answer: Svetlana Savitskaya
Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman months later.
Q7: When was the first all-female spacewalk?
Answer: 2019
Christina Koch and Jessica Meir worked outside the ISS.
Q8: About how long was the longest spacewalk, in 2001?
Answer: About 8 hours 56 minutes
Jim Voss and Susan Helms set the record.
Q9: In 2024, the first commercial spacewalk was made during which mission?
Answer: Polaris Dawn
Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis stepped out.
Q10: Why do astronauts breathe pure oxygen before spacewalks?
Answer: To remove nitrogen and avoid the bends
Suits use lower pressure than the cabin.

Spacewalks Quiz – Stepping Outside

A spacewalk, or extravehicular activity, is any time an astronaut works outside a spacecraft. Alexei Leonov made the first one in 1965, nearly getting stuck when his suit ballooned in the vacuum. Ed White became the first American spacewalker a few months later.

Spacewalks are essential for building and repairing spacecraft. Astronauts assembled much of the International Space Station during hundreds of spacewalks and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope five times. Each spacewalk is planned for months and practiced in giant pools.

Spacesuits are like personal spacecraft, providing oxygen, pressure, temperature control and communication. Records include spacewalks lasting nearly nine hours, the first all-female spacewalk in 2019 and the first commercial spacewalk in 2024.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is for space fans exploring spacewalks.

Who made the first spacewalk
What EVA means
Who flew untethered
Who were the first women spacewalkers
Why astronauts pre-breathe oxygen

Did You Know?

Anatoly Solovyev made 16 spacewalks.
Spacesuit gloves are hard to move in.
Astronauts stay tethered for safety.
Spacewalkers see a sunrise every 90 minutes.
A tool bag was lost during a 2008 spacewalk.