Spacewalk History: Smithsonian Exhibit's 50 Years of EVA in Photos

Gene Cernan's Apollo 17 Helmet

The Smithsonian's new exhibit contains NASA astronaut Gene Cernan's helmet from his A7-LB spacesuit on Apollo 17, December 1972.

'Lunar Confrontation' Painting

In this 1970 painting, Robert Shore envisioned a space-suited Apollo astronaut encountering science-fiction author Jules Verne (recognizable by the French flag in his hand).

Bootprint of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin stepped onto the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, with special lunar boot overshoes, making this bootprint.

Buzz Aldrin Stands on the Moon

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module, walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the Lunar Module "Eagle" during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity in 1969.

Schmitt in Lunar Roving Vehicle

Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt sits in the Lunar Roving Vehicle. He drove the vehicle approximately 22 miles (35 kilometers) during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

Astronaut McCandless and the Manned Maneuvering Unit

Astronaut Bruce McCandless made the first untethered spacewalk as he flew about 300 feet from the shuttle in the first test of the Manned Maneuvering Unit on Feb. 7, 1984. The event pictured here took place a few days later on February 11.

'Home Sweet Home' by Alan Bean

"Home Sweet Home," a painting by Alan Bean (1983, acrylic on Masonite) depicts his Apollo 12 mission in 1969.

"Outside the Spacecraft" Exhibition Entrance

The exhibit, "Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-Vehicular Activity," appears on view at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, from January 8 to June 8, 2015.