(Don't) look down: Astronauts share the joy of spacewalking

Astronauts Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst stepped outside their home Tuesday, doing what any skilled handyman might do on a weekend afternoon.

They moved a coolant pump, replaced a light fixture, and rigged a power supply system, carefully tying down cables every step of the way.

Only Wiseman and Gerst did their work outside the International Space Station -- flying 260 miles above Earth and speeding through space at more than 17,000 mph -- while wearing bulky pressure suits to provide breathing air and drinking water.

And their photos came out a lot better than might be produced in an afternoon of backyard chores.

Gerst spent much of Tuesday's more than six-hour spacewalk riding the space station's robotic arm, holding on to an 850-pound ammonia pump -- with one hand -- that would require a team of people to move on Earth.

Both astronauts, Wiseman from the United States and Gerst from the European Space Agency, were on their first spacewalk. They are members of the six-person Expedition 41 crew currently living aboard the space station.

The photos below were shared by Wiseman and Gerst via Twitter and Flickr.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the mission.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman tries on his spacesuit before Tuesday's spacewalk. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, who hails from Germany, during a spacesuit fit check. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

Gerst shared this image of Wiseman on Twitter, adding: "I do not have words to describe what we did today, but this photo gives a pretty good impression!" See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

"The view was reasonably INSANE during the #spacewalk" Photo credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman via Twitter

Gerst holds on to a pump module during a relocation maneuver on the space station's robot arm. See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

A space selfie by Alexander Gerst. See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

In a self-caption, Gerst wrote: "Safe to say, this was the most amazing thing I have done in my life. The pump module I carry here has a mass of 400 kg. I could move it with my little finger." See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

Reid Wiseman's spacewalk selfie. Photo credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman via Twitter

"What an experience and an honor to share it with @Astro_Alex" Photo credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman via Twitter

Wiseman near the robot arm mobile transporter on the space station's truss backbone. See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

Gerst's feet mounted on an adapter at the end of the space station's Canadian-built robot arm. See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

"Can you spot Reid Wiseman on this photo working in the moonlight?" Gerst asks. Can you? See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA

"Reid Wiseman with his head in a bunch of cables that we installed." See larger image. Photo credit: ESA/NASA