STS 117 EVA

As I write, astronauts Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas are in the early stages of a spacewalk to activate the new solar power array on the International Space Station.

"Soacewalk." of course, is a popular term. Historically, NASA has called such an excursion an "extravehicular activity," or EVA. Spacewalk may suggest something easy. It's not. The spacesuit worn by an astronaut has to provide the person inside with all the protection against the hazards of space the ship does-- and the suit has to be flexible. Even though spacesuits only need do that a few hours at a time, that's quite a trick. And, of course, there is no real walking involved. The astronaut's boots, save when pushing off the ship or the station, are only in contact with the odd passing atom.

Still, "spacewalk" has caught on. As we move beyond NASA, into an era of private spaceflight, when companies will bring tourists to orbiting hotels and let those tourists maneuver through space, much as tourists deep sea dive today, we can be pretty sure advertisers and public alike will call being out there, alone in the universe, spacewalking. We may begin down that road as early as next year. With luck, the first orbiting hotels will be welcoming guests sometime in the first half of this century.