Days after completing her eighth spacewalk, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is gearing up for another venture outside the International Space Station (ISS).
On January 30, the Space Station Commander will join Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore for a 6.5-hour spacewalk. During the mission, the duo will focus on removing a radio frequency antenna assembly and searching for microbial life on the orbital outpost, as per NASA’s latest update.
Williams and Wilmore initially arrived at the ISS on an eight-day mission aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. However, technical glitches forced NASA to return the spacecraft without its crew. Now, the two astronauts have been in space for nearly seven months and are expected to return in March 2025.
In preparation for the upcoming spacewalk, Williams and Wilmore began their day inside the Quest airlock, reviewing procedures and servicing their spacesuit helmets. They also checked the fuel and power levels of their SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue) units. These SAFER units, attached to the astronauts’ suits, are designed to maneuver them back to the station in the unlikely event they become untethered.
Earlier, on January 16, Williams performed a spacewalk to replace critical hardware and repair the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
After installing the new assembly, Hague secured the replaced unit back inside the airlock. Ground control teams confirmed the successful operation of the newly installed gyro, allowing the astronauts to proceed with other tasks.
Williams then replaced a reflector on the Harmony module, a critical component for guiding incoming spacecraft, while Hague concentrated on repairs to the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
This mission, designated US Spacewalk 91, was especially significant for Sunita Williams, marking her return to extravehicular activities after a 12-year break.