back to article On 50th anniversary of first spacewalk, Aurorae light up two planets

One March 18th, 1965, Alexy Leonov took a small step for a man and exited the Voskhod 22 spacecraft. Leonov then spent the next 12 minutes spacewalking, the first time a human had done so. 50 years down the track, US astronaut Terry Virts, the current commander of the International Space Station (ISS) took a space stroll and …

  1. Steven Roper

    Aurora on Mars?

    I thought Mars didn't have a magnetic field, which is essential to the formation of aurorae. Although if it does, I can see how the aurora would reach much deeper into the atmosphere than on Earth, since the aurorae can only occur in low-pressure, rarefied gases - and the Martian atmosphere is rarefied enough that an aurora could get much closer to the surface. That would be a sight to see for an astronaut on the ground! How interesting.

    1. MacroRodent

      Re: Aurora on Mars?

      I am guessing that a sufficiently strong blast from the Sun makes the Martian atmosphere glow at all latitudes. On Earth we see aurorae only in the north and south because the magnetosphere funnels the particles there, and concentrates them.

    2. JCitizen
      Alert

      Re: Aurora on Mars?

      That's exactly what I was going to say. It would seem having magnetic lines of force would help channel the ionic activity. Apparently all it takes is an atmosphere, and a thin one at that. With no Van Allen belt protection, Mars is wide open for radiation.

  2. Mark 85
    Pint

    Alexy, this one's for you.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Devil

      What Vodka is that colour?

      Of course, in a pint glass...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What Vodka is that colour?

        Krupnik of course!

        What kind of vodka connoisseur are you?

        PS. While Krupnik is very tasty and is ideal to be quaffed neat, I do not recommend drinking a pint of it in one go.

      2. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: What Vodka is that colour?

        Real vodka is coloured. Percovka. Peter the Great's fav drink.

        It will put you into low earth orbit too from one glass. A pint will probably kill you.

        By the way - beware of lots of NSFW results when googling as some of the side effects are traditionally NSFW too.

    2. Scott Broukell
      Pint

      I could be wrong but seem to remember something about Alexy Leonov having to cope with what would otherwise be a bit of a brown-space-suit problem for us mere mortals, but was just a bit of a challenge to him as he re-entered the spacecraft - I think his space suit had inflated just enough to cause him to struggle to get back through the canvas envelope that surrounded the hatchway. His ingress was, I believe, further hampered by the fact that the suit gloves had tightened up on him, embiggening the bothersomeness of the whole ordeal. So, yes, indeed, I raise a glass to Alexy Leonov and ALL the other pioneers of early space flight.

      1. Anonymous Custard
        Pint

        Yup, you're quite correct.

        There's a nice interview/article on the Smithsonian website (here) from a few years back where he talks about it.

        Glasses most certainly to be raised, to these heroes past and present, and indeed future...

        1. JCitizen
          Happy

          Thank you Anonymous Custard!

          That was an extraordinary story!! When I was a kid, the news didn't like reporting on Russian successes - I was starved for space stories, and would have enjoyed this report immensely! Thanks for providing that link! TGIF!!

      2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Both the US and the USSR's first spacewalks nearly went horribly wrong. I believe NASA hadn't put enough handholds on the spacecraft, both of them had problems with the suits over-inflating - and so struggled to get back into the ship.

        In space, no-one can hear you scream. But on the radio, everyone can hear you say, "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"

        1. Mike Flugennock

          first US EVA...

          Here's the straight poop, from Mark Wade's stalwart Encyclopaedia Astronautica:

          "... Over the Indian Ocean, White was ready for EVA at last - hoses hooked up, umbilical ready, gun in hand, and chestpack in place - and they again rested and chatted. Nearing Carnarvon, Australia, they began to depressurize the cabin. Then a mechanical problem arose - the door would not unlatch because a spring had failed to compress. After much yanking and poking around the hatch ratchet, the door suddenly cracked open. White found the hatch as hard to push up in zero g as it had been on the ground.

          Once he had it opened, White rose slowly through the hatch and installed a camera to record his movements as he swam in space, with the zip gun, tethered to his right arm. floating freely by his side. White triggered a burst from the gun, rose above the hatch, and, without imparting any motion to the spacecraft, propelled himself away. Experimenting with the double-barreled device, he traveled about 5 meters but found himself higher above the spacecraft than he intended. He wanted to go over to McDivitt's window. Short bursts of the gun worked well; in fact, it responded throughout much as it had in ground training on an air-bearing table, at least in pitch and yaw. White was less sure about roll, which he thought would be harder to control without using too much fuel. Floating freely, he felt a tendency to pitch, roll, and yaw, all at once. He knew the gun could correct this, but he was concerned about the fuel it would take. Instead, he tugged on the tether and pulled himself aft and high atop the spacecraft adapter. White saw the thrusters firing, expelling plumes of flaming as, as McDivitt steadied the spacecraft. White propelled himself away rom the danger - across the top of the spacecraft and out beyond its nose. He use the gun for two pitchovers and two body turns, each time stopping easily. Then the compressed oxygen fuel bottle was empty..."

  3. Allan George Dyer
    Joke

    "on the five days preceding Christmas 2014"

    So the Martians don't put their Christmas decorations up riddiculously early, thank goodness.

  4. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

    On the first day of Christmas my true love brought to me,

    A laser tank, with an RTG.

    On the second day of Christmas my true love brought to me,

    2 rovers roving,

    And a laser tank, with an RTG.

    On the third day of Christmas my true love brought to me,

    3 satellites mapping,

    2 rovers roving,

    And a laser tank, with an RTG.

    On the fourth day of Christmas my true love brought to me,

    4 cameras panning,

    3 satellites mapping,

    2 rovers roving,

    And a laser tank, with an RTG.

    etc.

  5. jai

    Ulla !!

    Dust clouds? Ultraviolet glows in the atmosphere? Suggests weapons testing and troop mobilisation.

    No flashes of green gas yet aimed at the Earth?

    Surely it's only a matter of time.

    #keepClearOfHorsellCommon

    #noOneWouldHaveBelieved....

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