World's most exclusive club: Russia, US, now China have technology to allow their astronauts to walk in space

(quote)

China left its mark in space history Saturday, successfully turbocharging its space program into an orbit that could see a Chinese man walk on the moon before the U.S. has a chance to get back there in 2020.

Shenzhou Vll has been successfully orbiting 343 kilometres above Earth every 90 minutes since it blasted off from the Jiuquan launch centre in northwest Gansu province on Thursday night. It was in its 29th orbit when Zhai made his historic walk. China sent its first man into space in 2003. Two more went up in 2005 and the trio this year are on the country's third manned mission.

When Zhai stepped out of the capsule, he confirmed China's membership in the world's most exclusive club: only Russia and the United States have the technology to allow their astronauts to walk in space.

Russia: Alexey Leonov, the pioneer (March, 1965)
On March 18, 1965, Alexei Leonov became the first person to walk in space. He was outside the spacecraft for 12 minutes, connected to the craft by a five-foot tether. At the end of the spacewalk, Leonov's spacesuit had inflated in the vacuum of space to the point where he could not reenter the airlock. He opened a valve to allow some of the suit's pressure to bleed off, and was barely able to get back inside the capsule.

United States: Ed White, first American spacewalk (June, 1965)
Ed White made the United States' first spacewalk on June 3, 1965, during the Gemini 4 mission. White opened his hatch and used the hand-held maneuvering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. The EVA started over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes, ending over the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, White propelled himself to the end of the 8-meter tether and back to the spacecraft three times using the hand-held gun. After the first three minutes the fuel ran out and White maneuvered by twisting his body and pulling on the tether.

These are some of the most interesting moments in spacewalks history:

Bruce McCandless made the first untethered, free flight using the Manned Maneu- vering Unit (1984).

Alfred Worden's spacewalk on Apollo 15's return from the Moon. His was the first spacewalk to take place outside of earth orbit.

(unquote)

Photos courtesy of NASA and Xinhua

Original Source: Calgary Herald, NASA, and Wikipedia