Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth (a spacewalk), but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon (a moonwalk). In the later lunar landing missions (Apollo 15, 16, and 17) the command module pilot did an EVA to retrieve film canisters on the return trip; he was assisted by the lunar module pilot who would perform what is called a "stand up EVA". These trans-Earth EVAs were the only spacewalks ever conducted in deep space to date.

EVAs may be either tethered (the astronaut is connected to the spacecraft, oxygen can be supplied through a tube, no propulsion is needed to return to the spacecraft) or untethered.

Beleived to be Hurricane Dean, August, 2007.

---

Unrelated mission


Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Kennedy Space Center
on November 14 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.


From orbit Endeavour approaches the International Space Station before docking.
The shuttle's 15-day mission included delivering supplies and four spacewalks.


International Space Station

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....


Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
. . . . John Gillespie Magee