NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, the first Indian-origin woman to command the International Space Station (ISS), on Thursday set an important milestone by completing her first spacewalk after arriving at the ISS more than seven months ago
Station Commander Williams, along with fellow NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Nick Hague, performed much-needed exterior repairs on the orbiting laboratory.
The two stepped outside the ISS as it flew 260 miles above Turkmenistan, making the spacewalk an important part of their ongoing mission to maintain the ISS and complete pending maintenance tasks.
“I’m coming out,” Williams said over the radio as she prepared for the task, which took place in low Earth orbit.
The spacewalk was part of NASA’s efforts to keep the ISS in optimal working order. As the astronauts worked together to complete the repairs, Williams and Wilmore flew aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule last June, expected to complete a week-long test flight.
Their return to Earth, however, was delayed due to technical problems in the Starliner capsule. NASA eventually ordered the capsule to be returned empty, making their return even more complicated.
Delays in the Starliner flight, due to postponements with the launch of SpaceX’s replacement astronauts, have extended their stay on the ISS.
Williams and Wilmore are now expected to return to Earth in late March or early April – about ten months after they were first launched.
