Page 6 - A is for Astronaut: Blasting Through the Alphabet

Astronauts perform space walks for many
reasons. They can install new equipment
or fix things that are broken. An American
space walk usually lasts about 6.5 hours,
and the astronauts work in pairs to help
keep each other safe. Big jobs need them
to work together as a two-person team,
but sometimes they do smaller jobs
individually, always talking to one another
to maintain awareness and check in.

When going into and working in space,
different suits are used for different
tasks. The suit worn during launch and
landing is called the ACES (Advanced
Crew Escape Space Suit System) suit and
is bright orange in color. It protects
astronauts in the event of an emergency
situation.

For space walks, the suit is quite
different. Much heavier and colored
bright white, it becomes your own
personal spaceship and tool storage
device while you work in the vacuum
of space.

Working outside in space is sure to impress.
We call it a Space Walk, and its letter is S.
Floating weightless, with tools and a bulky white suit,
we can fix and install things—it’s really a hoot!