List of International Space Station spacewalks
International Space Station spacewalks are major events in the building and maintaining of the orbital laboratory. Spacewalks are performed to install new components to the International Space Station, to re-wire systems, modules, and equipment, and to monitor, install, and retrieve scientific experiments.
Due to the complexity of building a station in space, space agencies train astronauts extensively, preparing them to encounter surprises during spacewalks, teaching them how to assemble special tools and equipment, and carefully coordinating every activity during spacewalks. From 1998 to 2005, thirty-seven Space Shuttle missions were scheduled to assemble, outfit and begin experiments and research aboard the station.
The initial spacewalk to begin the assembly of the International Space Station was held on December 7, 1998, following the launch of the first section of the station, Zarya, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on November 20, 1998. The spacewalk attached the U.S.-built Unity node to Zarya. The longest spacewalk was performed on March 11, 2001, when STS-102 crew members Susan J. Helms and James S. Voss conducted a full spacewalk, and then returned to the airlock, but remained in their suits ready to exit the airlock again in case the robotics operations ran into problems. The total time for that spacewalk was eight hours and fifty-six minutes.
As of January 25, 2020, there have been 227 spacewalks devoted to assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station totaling 1416 hours and 12 minutes. As of May 12, 2017, there have been 200 spacewalks totaling 1247 hours and 55 minutes. As of March 2, 2011, a total time of 973 hours and fifty-three minutes has been spent in extra-vehicular activity, with 127 of these EVAs performed from station airlocks, totaling 787 hours and twenty-eight minutes in spacewalk time from the station itself. Twenty-eight spacewalks have been performed from a shuttle, ninety-three from the Quest Joint Airlock, thirty-two from the Pirs docking compartment, and two from the transfer compartment at the forward end of the Zvezda Service Module.
†denotes spacewalks performed from the visiting space shuttle's airlock.
‡denotes the one EVA and one IVA performed from the transfer compartment at the forward end of the Zvezda Service Module.
All other spacewalks were performed from the Quest airlock.
ISS Expedition spacewalks are separated from shuttle spacewalks by a separator.
1998–1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Planned
†denotes spacewalks performed from the visiting space shuttle's airlock.
‡denotes the one EVA and one IVA performed from the transfer compartment at the forward end of the Zvezda Service Module.
All other spacewalks were performed from the Quest airlock.
ISS Expedition spacewalks are separated from shuttle spacewalks by a separator.
Gallery
| Stephen Robinson participates in the third spacewalk during STS-114. | European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang participates in the second spacewalk of STS-116. | Steven Swanson waves to Patrick G. Forrester during the third EVA of STS-117. | Robert L. Behnken on the third spacewalk of STS-123. |