NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has marked a significant achievement by completing her eighth spacewalk on January 16, 2025. This successful extravehicular activity (EVA) saw Williams and her fellow astronaut, Nick Hague, venture outside the International Space Station (ISS) to carry out crucial repairs and upgrades to the station’s equipment. The six-hour spacewalk extended Williams’ total time in EVA to an impressive 56 hours and 40 minutes, further cementing her place as one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts.
Key Objectives and Successful Repairs
The mission, dubbed US Spacewalk 91, began at 18:31 IST with both astronauts quickly getting to work on their key tasks. The first order of business was replacing the rate gyro assembly, a crucial piece of equipment used to track the ISS’s orientation. This task was completed within the first hour, with ground control confirming that the new assembly was fully operational. Following this, Hague stowed the removed unit back inside the airlock.
Williams then took over by replacing a reflector mounted on the Harmony module. This reflector plays a vital role in guiding incoming spacecraft to dock with the ISS. Meanwhile, Hague worked on the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope, which had been experiencing issues since May 2023 due to sunlight leaks through damaged thermal shields. To resolve this, Hague installed pie-shaped patches designed to block unwanted sunlight, restoring the telescope’s functionality.
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Sunita Williams now becomes the oldest woman to conduct a spacewalk at the age of 59 years and 119 days old 👩🚀 https://t.co/nYO27YbjtR
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) January 16, 2025
The astronauts also prepared the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer area for future maintenance and completed their primary tasks an hour ahead of schedule.
Additional Tasks and Challenges
As the spacewalk continued, Williams and Hague were tasked with troubleshooting a stuck Articulating Portable Foot Restraint. They carefully examined the problem, taking photos to ensure there would be no issues for future spacewalks. Despite brief disruptions in their helmet camera feeds, which were quickly resolved, the astronauts continued their work with steady progress.
Williams’ Long-Awaited Return to Spacewalks
This spacewalk is particularly meaningful for Sunita Williams, as it marks her return to extravehicular activities after a 12-year hiatus. Williams first became renowned for her spacewalks during her previous missions, and her continued contribution to space exploration reinforces her commitment to advancing scientific discovery.
More Spacewalks to Come
The astronauts completed their mission half an hour ahead of schedule and returned to the ISS. Their successful EVA sets the stage for additional spacewalks, with Williams and Hague scheduled to embark on another spacewalk on January 23, 2025, to continue upgrades on the ISS.
With this mission, Williams continues to inspire and contribute to the advancement of space exploration, demonstrating her leadership and expertise in the field of spacewalks and astronautics.
