Sunita Williams Breaks Spacewalk Record

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has set a woman's new record for the longest spacewalking duration, surpassing Peggy Whitson’s previous record. Williams has accumulated 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking time over nine.

This achievement occurred during her latest extravehicular activity (EVA) with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore on the International Space Station (ISS). The duo has been stranded on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and has been performing maintenance work outside the station.

Key Highlights:

• Record-Breaking Spacewalk: Williams surpassed Whitson’s record of 60 hours and 21 minutes, now ranking fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalking list.
• Spacewalk Details: The record-breaking EVA lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes, from 7:43 am ET to 1:09 pm ET.
• Purpose of the Spacewalk: The astronauts worked on removing outdated radio communications hardware and collected samples from the ISS’s exterior to check for microorganisms.
• Extended Stay on the ISS: Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for an eight-day mission. However, due to technical malfunctions, NASA deemed the spacecraft unsafe for their return. Their return to Earth is now scheduled for late March 2025 aboard a SpaceX vehicle.
• Williams’s Achievements: This was her ninth spacewalk, while it was Wilmore’s fifth. In 2012, Williams became the first person to complete a triathlon in space using the ISS’s exercise equipment.
• NASA’s Announcement: NASA confirmed the milestone via a post on X (formerly Twitter) and continues to monitor their health and mission progress as they await their return.