Washington, Jan 31: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has set a new record for the most spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging an impressive 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the International Space Station (ISS).
Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, conducted a spacewalk on Thursday while remaining stranded aboard the ISS since June 2024. The duo stepped outside the station to remove outdated radio communication hardware and collect samples to study the potential existence of microorganisms on the ISS’s exterior.
Their spacewalk commenced at 7:43 AM Eastern Time (ET) and lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes, concluding at 1:09 PM ET. This marked Williams’ ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth.
NASA celebrated Williams’ achievement, stating in a post on X, “NASA astronaut Suni Williams just surpassed former astronaut Peggy Whitson’s total spacewalking time of 60 hours and 21 minutes.” With 62 hours and 6 minutes logged, Williams now ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalking list.
A seasoned astronaut, Williams made history in 2012 when she became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, simulating swimming with resistance equipment and running on a treadmill while secured by a harness to counteract weightlessness.
Williams, 59, and Wilmore initially embarked on what was planned as an eight-day mission to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner. However, due to technical malfunctions, including helium leaks and thruster issues, the spacecraft was deemed unsafe for their return trip.
NASA now plans to bring the astronauts back to Earth in late March aboard a SpaceX-built spacecraft, as Boeing works to resolve the Starliner’s technical failures. Despite these unexpected challenges, Williams and Wilmore have continued their research and duties aboard the ISS, awaiting a safe return home.
