Book 8, Question 93
Why Do Spacewalkers Tether Themselves?
Spacewalkers tether themselves to the spacecraft so they cannot float away into space.
Spacewalkers tether themselves because there is no air to slow you down and no ground to stop you, so a gentle push could send you floating away from the station. Tethers and handholds keep astronauts safely attached while they work.
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Quick answers
Are tools tethered too?
Tools are tethered too, so they cannot drift off.
Do they tether inside the airlock?
Even inside the airlock, before going out, spacewalkers tether themselves together.
Sources: NASA, Smithsonian Magazine, BBC
More fun facts
- On a spacewalk, astronauts use safety tethers to attach themselves to their spacecraft.
- The tethers keep them from floating away into space.
- Tools are tethered too, so they cannot drift off.
- Spacewalkers are as careful about tethering as mountain climbers are.
- Even inside the airlock, before going out, spacewalkers tether themselves together.
- In the 1990s, some experts doubted NASA could safely do three or four spacewalks on every shuttle trip to build the space station.
Sources: NASA, Smithsonian Magazine, BBC
Questions kids ask
What happens to a tool dropped on a spacewalk?
Without a tether, it would float away, so tools are tethered too.