On this day April 7, 1983, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson made history by performing the first ever spacewalk from a space shuttle during NASA’s STS 6 mission aboard Challenger. This groundbreaking extravehicular activity marked a key step in the evolution of shuttle era missions and showed how astronauts could work safely and effectively outside the shuttle in Earth’s orbit.
The spacewalk lasted over four hours and included a series of tests on the new shuttle era spacesuits and tools designed for work in microgravity. It was a huge moment for NASA, proving that astronauts could perform maintenance and construction tasks in space — a skill that would be crucial for the building of the International Space Station years later.
Musgrave and Peterson’s successful EVA opened the door for more advanced missions and expanded what was possible for human space exploration during the shuttle program.
Fun fact: Story Musgrave went on to fly on six space shuttle missions, making him one of the most experienced astronauts in NASA history.
Trivia question: What was the name of the space shuttle involved in the first shuttle era spacewalk in 1983?
The spacewalk lasted over four hours and included a series of tests on the new shuttle era spacesuits and tools designed for work in microgravity. It was a huge moment for NASA, proving that astronauts could perform maintenance and construction tasks in space — a skill that would be crucial for the building of the International Space Station years later.
Musgrave and Peterson’s successful EVA opened the door for more advanced missions and expanded what was possible for human space exploration during the shuttle program.
Fun fact: Story Musgrave went on to fly on six space shuttle missions, making him one of the most experienced astronauts in NASA history.
Trivia question: What was the name of the space shuttle involved in the first shuttle era spacewalk in 1983?
