Two NASA astronauts successfully completed a spacewalk on Thursday, marking their first joint excursion outside the International Space Station after being stuck there for almost eight months. Commander Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore ventured out to remove a broken antenna and inspect the station's exterior for any surviving microbes that may have traveled from Earth.
Despite encountering initial difficulties in unbolting the malfunctioning antenna, the astronauts managed to detach it after nearly four hours of work. Mission Control closely monitored the operation to ensure no parts floated away during the removal process.
During the spacewalk, which took place 260 miles above Earth, Williams set a new record for female astronauts in terms of time spent spacewalking. The astronauts had originally planned to stay at the space station for just a week, but due to issues with their return vehicle, Boeing's Starliner capsule, they have been stranded in orbit awaiting a ride home from SpaceX.
As a result of the delay in launching their replacements, Williams and Wilmore are now expected to remain in space until late March or early April, extending their mission to a total of 10 months. Williams had previously conducted a spacewalk with another NASA astronaut, while this marked Wilmore's first spacewalk during this mission. Both astronauts have accumulated significant spacewalking experience from previous stays at the space station.
Williams also set a new record for female astronauts in terms of total time spent spacewalking over her career, surpassing the previous record held by retired astronaut Peggy Whitson. Whitson had completed 10 spacewalks totaling 60 hours and 21 minutes, while Williams now holds the record with nine spacewalks.
