Sunita Williams Completes Her Eighth Spacewalk: Spent 6.5 Hours Outside the Space Station After 7 Months, Amazing View Captured in Video

Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams began a spacewalk on Thursday evening at 6:30 PM IST at the International Space Station (ISS). During the spacewalk, her space companion, astronaut Nick Hague, was also with her.

NASA shared live footage of their spacewalk. The purpose of the spacewalk was to repair the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope. This mission is named “US Spacewalk-91.” This marks Sunita Williams’ 8th spacewalk and Nick Hague’s 4th. The spacewalk lasted for approximately 6.5 hours.

During the spacewalk, Sunita and her partner Nick Hague worked on repairing the external components of the ISS. This included repairing the station’s navigation equipment, patching light filters on the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector device mounted on the International Docking Adapter.

Sunita Williams’ First Spacewalk in 12 Years

Sunita Williams has completed a spacewalk after 12 years. She is renowned for her expertise in Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), which are crucial for the operation and upgrading of the ISS.

NASA had halted spacewalks for astronauts in May of the previous year due to an issue with the astronaut suit’s cooling loop (a system that uses water to regulate temperature), which began leaking water into the airlock (where astronauts exit). After resolving the problem, astronauts were able to conduct spacewalks again for the first time.

Sunita Williams’ 8-Day Journey Turns into a 10-Month Stay in Space

Sunita Williams has been in space for over seven months. She arrived at the ISS last June with Butch Wilmore. Originally, she was scheduled to return after a week. Both were testing Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, but due to a malfunction, they were forced to stay on the ISS. Since then, they have been stranded there.

NASA provided an update stating that Sunita and Butch Wilmore will be brought back by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft in February 2025. However, their return may now be delayed further. Last month, NASA announced that they may have to wait until the end of March 2025. The return date could even extend into early April.

According to NASA, SpaceX will need to build a new capsule to bring Sunita Williams back from space. This process will take time, causing a delay in the mission. The work is expected to be completed by the end of March, after which the stranded astronauts will finally be brought back.

Why Were Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Sent to the Space Station?

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were part of Boeing and NASA’s joint “Crew Flight Test Mission.” Sunita was the pilot of the spacecraft, and Butch Wilmore was the commander of the mission. They were originally scheduled to spend 8 days at the International Space Station (ISS) before returning to Earth.

At the time of the launch, Ted Colbert, President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, described the mission as the beginning of a new era in space exploration. The main objective of the mission was to demonstrate the spacecraft’s capability to transport astronauts to and from the space station.

During their 8-day stay, the astronauts were expected to conduct research and perform various experiments at the space station. Sunita and Butch Wilmore were the first astronauts to be sent on a space mission using the Atlas-V rocket. Additionally, Sunita was tasked with piloting the spacecraft, and several flight test objectives related to the mission were also completed.

How Did Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Get Stranded in Space for So Long?

There were several issues with the Starliner spacecraft after its launch, which caused multiple failed attempts prior to June 5. Even after the launch, reports of problems with the spacecraft surfaced.

NASA revealed that a small helium leak was found in the spacecraft’s service module thrusters. The spacecraft has many thrusters that help change its direction and velocity. The presence of helium gas creates pressure on the rocket, strengthening its structure and aiding its flight.

In the 25 days following launch, five helium leaks occurred in the spacecraft’s capsule. Five thrusters ceased working, and the propellant valves could not be completely closed. Despite efforts by the crew in space and mission managers in Houston, America, they were unable to fix these issues, resulting in the extended delay.