NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore made history on Thursday by conducting a 5.5-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). This achievement is noteworthy for both astronauts, as Williams sets a new personal and collective record for time spent on spacewalks.
During the 5-hour and 30-minute spacewalk, Williams and Wilmore successfully removed a radio frequency group antenna assembly off the ISS’s truss. They also took surface material samples from the Destiny laboratory and Quest airlock. NASA has stated that these materials would be analysed as part of ongoing scientific studies. This spacewalk was Williams’ tenth, adding to her already excellent record.
She has completed 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalks, ranking fourth on NASA’s all-time chart for the longest time spent outside the ISS.
Meanwhile, NASA is working closely with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to return Williams and Wilmore to Earth. The astronauts, who were supposed to be aboard the ISS for eight days, have been stuck there for several months due to technical concerns with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA has opted to employ SpaceX’s spacecraft for its return, but delays have pushed it back.
