Question 1

True or false: The first spacewalk was performed by an American astronaut during the Gemini 4 mission.

Accepted Answer

False. The first spacewalk was by Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov on March 18, 1965; America's Ed White followed months later on Gemini 4.

Question 2

True or false: Leonov's spacewalk was planned as a secret test that the West only discovered years later.

Accepted Answer

False. It was publicly announced and widely reported immediately; the Soviet Union proudly showcased the achievement.

Question 3

True or false: The Soviet Union broadcast Leonov's spacewalk live on television around the world.

Accepted Answer

True. The spacewalk was broadcast live on Soviet TV and later shown globally, though the craft's camera had limited coverage.

Question 4

True or false: The Voskhod 2 spacecraft had an inflatable airlock that was jettisoned after the spacewalk.

Accepted Answer

False. The Voskhod 2 used an inflatable airlock called the Volga, but it was not jettisoned; it remained attached throughout the mission.

Question 5

True or false: The first spacewalker used a jetpack to maneuver freely outside the spacecraft.

Accepted Answer

False. Leonov had no jetpack; he was tethered by a 5-meter hose. The first untethered spacewalk was in 1984 by Bruce McCandless.

Question 6

True or false: The first spacewalk lasted only 12 minutes because the cosmonaut's suit overheated in direct sunlight.

Accepted Answer

True. Alexei Leonov's Voskhod 2 spacewalk was cut short due to suit overheating, causing dangerous swelling, and lasted just 12 minutes.

Question 7

True or false: During the spacewalk, Leonov's heart rate spiked to over 140 beats per minute from stress.

Accepted Answer

True. Leonov's heart rate reached 143 bpm during the walk and 162 bpm during the dangerous re-entry, indicating extreme physical and mental strain.

Question 8

True or false: Leonov had to manually deflate his suit to re-enter the airlock because it had ballooned too large.

Accepted Answer

True. Due to suit swelling in vacuum, Leonov risked death by bleeding oxygen from his suit to squeeze back into the Voskhod capsule.

First spacewalk 1965 Trivia Questions