Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to spacewalking after 12 years, stepping outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday alongside astronaut Nick Hague. Designated as US Spacewalk 91, the mission aims to perform crucial maintenance and upgrades on the orbital laboratory.
This marks Williams’ eighth career spacewalk and Hague’s fourth, with the duo working outside the ISS for approximately six and a half hours. Williams wore an unmarked spacesuit, serving as spacewalk crew member 2, while Hague donned a suit with red stripes as crew member 1.
The astronauts undertook a range of tasks, including:
• NICER Repairs: Performing upgrades to the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
• Rate Gyro Replacement: Installing a new rate gyro assembly to maintain the ISS’s orientation control.
• Docking Adapter Maintenance: Replacing a reflector device for navigational data on an international docking adapter.
• Future Preparations: Examining tools and areas needed for upcoming maintenance on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
NASA described the mission as critical for ensuring the smooth functioning and longevity of the ISS.
NASA announced another spacewalk, slated for January 23, involving Williams and colleague Barry Wilmore. The duo will:
• Remove a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the ISS truss.
• Collect material samples from the Destiny lab and Quest airlock to study possible microbial life on the station’s exterior.
• Prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm in case future replacements are required.
Williams and Wilmore, who were the first astronauts to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, remain aboard the ISS nearly 10 months after what was initially planned as an eight-day mission. The Starliner, deemed unfit for human travel following safety reviews, was safely returned to Earth.