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Sunita Williams Tackles First ...

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Sunita Williams Tackles First Spacewalk After Long Stay

Sunita Williams Tackles First Spacewalk After Long Stay
The Silicon Review
17 January, 2025

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams completes her first spacewalk in seven months, tackling overdue repairs.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams stepped out of the International Space Station on her first spacewalk since she arrived there over seven months ago, a significant milestone for her as well as for her fellow astronaut, Nick Hague. The duo had to conduct overdue repair work outside the ISS as part of their scheduled activities. Williams is the commander of the ISS, and she was to return with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore for another spacewalk next week.

Williams and Wilmore had launched aboard Boeing's new Starliner capsule in June 2024 for what was to be a short test flight. However, technical problems with the Starliner capsule prevented them from returning right away, having to extend their stay on the space station while NASA ordered the spacecraft to return empty as well. Adding to that delay, their replacements at SpaceX have delayed its launch, and so Williams and Wilmore are not returning back to Earth before late March or early April of this year—10 months after having launched.

This spacewalk was important because it was the first since an aborted mission last summer. Spacewalks were temporarily suspended by NASA after water leaked into an astronaut's spacesuit from the cooling loop during a previous attempt. The problem has since been fixed, and astronauts can now go back to working outdoors safely.

For Williams, this was her eighth spacewalk. It is an achievement in a distinguished career for the astronaut who has lived on the ISS before. With her experience, she is well-prepared for this mission. However, the long stay and unexpected challenges do not deter Williams and her crew from their work. They are making sure that the operations of NASA's space station and international space exploration are successful.

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