BRAINDUMP
How do astronauts prepare for a spacewalk?
Amazing answers to your curious questions
Preparing for a spacewalk takes about a day. Before astronauts step out, they need to go through a process called decompression. As there’s no air pressure in space, spacesuits are pressurised at about a third of the air pressure inside the spacecraft. This both protects the astronauts and allows them to manoeuvre outside. Before they don the suit, the air pressure in the cabin is lowered and the oxygen levels are slightly raised.