Comments on: During a five hour EVA that had lots of difficulties, two Russian cosmonauts took the Olympic torch on a spacewalk

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:35:57 +0000

“Space-diving” implies a single direct and significant act of motion, which would not describe and EVA or spacewalk accurately. “Spacewalk” itself is a perfectly good word for EVAs. Don’s objection might have been valid once, but no longer.

Many English words contain internal words whose meaning is contradictory or not quite accurate. It doesn’t matter because the word itself carries its own meaning independent of that internal word. “Spacewalk” has nothing to do with “walking,” and everyone knows it. It is merely a more elegant word for EVA.

By: Matt in AZ

Matt in AZ — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:03:47 +0000

In reply to Don Major. What term would you prefer? "Space-diving", akin to scuba-diving, would work just as well for me.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 06:24:30 +0000

In reply to Don Major. I'd love to hear what you have to say about 'moonwalk' vis-a-vis the dance move.

By: wodun

wodun — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 18:36:02 +0000

In reply to Don Major. Sounds snappy though.

By: Don Major

Don Major — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 17:54:59 +0000

I have had a problem with the word “spacewalk” ever since I first heard it,
decades ago. Walking is using one’s legs to propel oneself along a surface
mostly perpendicular to the direction of gravitational acceleration, blocked
by that surface. However, every picture I’ve seen of an EVA appears to be
drifting in (effectively) zero-gravity with one or more tethers. How can an
EVA be described as walking? I must assume that “spacewalk” was coined
by, and intended for, those who don’t like to think about such things. Thus,
their minds are further muddled.