World First Space Walk

When Russian Alexei Leonov exited the airlock of the Voskhod 2 spacecraft, he became the first human to ever walk in the vacuum of space. He was outside the spacecraft for 12 minutes and nine seconds on 18 March 1965, connected to the craft by a 5.35 meter tether.

Alexei had problems in re-entering the spacecraft because his space suit had enlarged slightly. He had to let air leak out of his space suit in order to squeeze back inside.

First American

During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a space walk.

Timeline of a few Space Firsts

4 October 1957 - Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.

2 January 1959 - Luna 1, first man-made satellite to orbit the moon, is launched by the U.S.S.R.

18 March 1965 - The first space walk is made from Soviet Voskhod 2 by Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov.

20 July 1969 - Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. make the first manned soft landing on the Moon, and the first moonwalk, using Apollo 11.