15 jaw-dropping spacewalk images

Astronauts are some of the most adventurous explorers among us. In this thrilling gallery, American and international astronauts undertake various spacewalks for research and repair against the stunning backdrop of Earth.

1. Helping Hubble

wide shot of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in Discovery's cargo bay, backdropped against Australia, with astronaut Steven L. Smith. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronaut Steven L. Smith moves along the Hubble Space Telescope while docked in the space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay. Behind him is a distant view of Australia on a Feb. 15, 1997 spacewalk.

2. Space selfie

Spacewalker Woody Hoburg takes an out-of-this-world "space-selfie." — (Image credit: NASA)

Woody Hoburg, a NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 flight engineer, takes a "space-selfie" during a spacewalk on June 9, 2023.

3. Building the ISS

Astronauts Jerry L. Ross and James H. Newman work together on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Mission specialists Jerry L. Ross and James H. Newman work together on the first International Space Station (ISS) assembly mission on Dec. 6, 1998.

4. Mind the glare

Astronaut Chris Cassidy on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Expedition 35 flight engineer Chris Cassidy completes a spacewalk on May 11, 2013.

5. Teamwork in space

Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn complete a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn, Expedition 35 flight engineers, inspect and replace a pump controller box on the ISS on a May 11, 2013 spacewalk.

6. Activate shields

Cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev during a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Expedition 69 crew members Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, both from Russia's space agency Roscosmos, install orbital debris shields on the ISS during a spacewalk on Aug. 9, 2023.

7. Hello from space

Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam photographed through a hatch while on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, STS-98 mission specialist, completes a spacewalk ahead of schedule on Feb. 12, 2001.

8. Job with a view

NASA spacewalker Josh Cassada prepares a roll-out solar array for its deployment. — (Image credit: NASA)

Josh Cassada, Expedition 68 flight engineer and NASA spacewalker, works on the ISS on Dec. 22, 2022.

9. Sideways work

Astronauts Stephen Bowen and Sultan AlNeyadi on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi on an April 28, 2023 spacewalk.

10. First time for everything

Astronaut Nicole Mann is pictured during her first spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Nicole Mann, NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 flight engineer on her first career spacewalk on Jan. 20, 2023, to install a modification kit on the ISS's starboard truss structure.

11.Working on Hubble

Astronauts John M. Grunsfeld and Richard M. Linnehan on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronauts John M. Grunsfeld, payload commander, and Richard M. Linnehan, mission specialist, participate in their first spacewalk to perform work on Hubble on March 4, 2002.

12. The glowing Earth

Astronaut Stephen Bowen on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronaut Stephen Bowen moves outside the ISS on his eighth career spacewalk on April 28, 2023.

13. Outdoor work

Astronauts Stephen Bowen and Sultan Alneyadi on a spacewalk on April 28, 2023.

14. Floating with Hubble

Astronaut John M. Grunsfeld floats past the Hubble Space Telescope as it is docked in the Space Shuttle Columbia's cargo bay. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronaut John M. Grunsfeld floats past Hubble as it is docked in the space shuttle Columbia's cargo bay during a spacewalk on March 8, 2002.

15. Discoveries abound

Astronaut Andrew S. W. Thomas on a spacewalk. — (Image credit: NASA)

Astronaut Andrew S. W. Thomas, mission specialist, in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Discovery during a March 2001 spacewalk.