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Astronaut Suni Williams Completes First Spacewalk After Extended Stay at ISS

In a significant moment for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Suni Williams conducted her first spacewalk since arriving roughly seven months ago. This event took place on Thursday, January 16, when Williams assisted fellow astronaut Nick Hague with essential repair work on the exterior of the ISS, as reported by the Associated Press.

“I’m coming out,” expressed the 59-year-old Williams as she stepped outside the space station for the first time since her arrival alongside astronaut Butch Wilmore.

The mission began in June 2024, with Williams and Wilmore participating in a planned weeklong test flight aboard a Boeing Starliner capsule. However, their return was postponed due to mechanical problems with the spacecraft, which subsequently returned to Earth without them.

Initially, NASA had aimed to have the pair back on Earth by February 2025, but their timeline shifted last month, pushing their return date to at least March. NASA has been working closely with SpaceX to prepare a new Dragon spacecraft for the upcoming mission. Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, emphasized the meticulous nature of the spacecraft’s preparation, stating that the process “is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail.”

In a statement from December 2024, Stich praised the efforts of the SpaceX team in expanding the Dragon fleet for missions and acknowledged the flexibility shown by the ISS teams.

This spacewalk marked the eighth of Williams’ career, underscoring her extensive experience. In November 2024, she reassured the public about their well-being during their extended stay. “We’re feeling good, working out [and] eating right,” she stated in an interview with NBC News. “It’s just awesome. We have a lot of fun up here too. People who are worried about us, really, don’t worry about us … we’re a happy crew up here.”

Source
people.com