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Walking in Space

If there’s one thing Chris Hadfield likes better than flying a plane, it’s flying without one. Next April, when he emerges from the airlock of the Space Shuttle Endeavour to become the first Canadian to do a spacewalk, he’ll be enclosed in only a spacesuit, flying high above the earth without the need for wings or engines.

"You’re free-flying in space. That’s hard to beat," he says. "What an amazing opportunity—to put on a set of clothes and a hat and go out in space with nothing between me and the universe."

Hadfield and his partner, American astronaut Scott Parazynski, will perform two and possible three spacewalks (or "extravehicular activities"—EVAs) to uncrate and install Canadarm2, the robotic arm developed by Canada for the International Space Station (ISS).

Decked out in the bulky, brilliant-white EVA suit, Hadfield will float into the Shuttle’s payload bay and into Canadian space history: not only will he be the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk, he’s the lead spacewalker on this mission, responsible for ensuring the success of the EVAs, each lasting roughly six hours (a third spacewalk could be added if needed to finish any tasks from the first two).

After suiting up, Hadfield and Parazynski will wait in the Shuttle airlock while a crewmate uses the Canadarm to pluck a U-shaped metal pallet carrying Canadarm2 and a UHF communications antenna out of the payload bay and attach it to the Station's Laboratory module, Destiny. The two astronauts will then leave the airlock and immediately start working to get the Canadarm2 up and running.

Unfortunately, Hadfield won’t have much time for sightseeing, despite the spectacular scenery. "My plate is absolutely full of things that I have to get done as soon as I get out there," he says. "The tourist activities will have to wait."

The first thing they will do is clamber to the top of Destiny and unhook cables that will be used to link Canadarm2 to the Station. These cables will provide power to keep the arm’s electronics warm in the deep cold of space and a video/data link that will allow astronauts to control Canadarm2 using a computer inside the Space Station.

The EVA astronauts will then do other tasks while they wait for the SSRM to warm up. When they return, the hard work of unfolding the arm and preparing it to become operational will begin.