CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA astronaut experiencing an extended stay at the International Space Station (ISS) finally enjoyed a refreshing change of pace on Thursday, as she participated in her first spacewalk since her arrival over seven months ago.
Station commander Suni Williams joined fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague to address some long-overdue repair work outside the ISS. They made their exit into the vastness of space while the spacecraft was orbiting an impressive 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Turkmenistan.
During the spacewalk, Williams had the opportunity to examine the SpaceX capsule that is scheduled to return her to Earth in the spring. While floating perilously close to the stationary vehicle, she encountered a challenge but successfully navigated through it without inflicting any harm to the spacecraft.
Next week, Williams is set to conduct another spacewalk, this time alongside astronaut Butch Wilmore. The two had traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule last June for what was intended to be a week-long test mission.
However, complications with the Starliner have postponed their return, leading NASA to instruct the capsule to return without any crew. Additionally, delays in the launch of their replacement mission by SpaceX mean that the astronauts will not return to Earth until late March or early April—nearly ten months after their original launch date.
This spacewalk marked the first time NASA astronauts ventured outside the ISS since a previous attempt was abandoned during the summer. The suspension of U.S. spacewalks was due to a water leak from an astronaut’s suit into the airlock, but NASA has since remedied the situation.
For Williams, this spacewalk represented her eighth overall; she is no stranger to life aboard the space station, having completed significant missions in the past.
