Why Spacewalks Are Complicated and Dangerous
1 min readThey might seem like a lot of fun, but in reality, things are much trickier.
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Anyone who has seen footage of the famous spacewalks can’t deny that they look absolutely thrilling and exciting. Just imagine being out in space floating above Earth and walking on the International Space Station.
However, as much fun as spacewalks may seem to be, in reality, they are actually pretty dangerous and time-consuming. This is why they are so rare.
Astronauts need to often spend hours preparing for these journeys. First, they must put on their pressurized suits and breathe oxygen for a few hours in order to get rid of all the nitrogen in their bodies.
This allows them to prevent decompression sickness, or ‘the bends,’ which refers to the event when painful and deadly bubbles of nitrogen form in the bloodstream.
What do astronauts do next to prepare for a spacewalk? What are spacewalks used for and how do astronauts train for them? Which missions are most likely to require a spacewalk? What makes spacewalks so dangerous and time-consuming?
We explore all these questions in our video and even delve into the science, engineering, and technology behind spacewalks. If you are passionate about all things related to space, this is a video not to be missed.
