Sunita Williams Sets New Spacewalk Record

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has set a new record for the longest spacewalking time by a woman, surpassing former astronaut Peggy Whitson’s previous record. Williams has now logged a total of 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking time across nine spacewalks. The achievement came during her latest extravehicular activity (EVA) alongside fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore on the International Space Station (ISS). The duo, who have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, conducted maintenance work outside the station.

Key Highlights

Record-Breaking Spacewalk

• Sunita Williams has now accumulated 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking time, breaking Peggy Whitson’s record of 60 hours and 21 minutes.
• Williams ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalking list.
• The record-breaking spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes, beginning at 7:43 am ET and ending at 1:09 pm ET.

Purpose of the Spacewalk

• Williams and Butch Wilmore removed degraded radio communications hardware.
• They collected samples to check for possible microorganisms on the exterior of the ISS.

Extended Stay on the ISS

• Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for an eight-day mission.
• Due to helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, NASA deemed the Starliner unsafe for their return.
• NASA now plans to bring them back to Earth in late March 2025 aboard a SpaceX spaceship.

Williams’s Achievements

• This was her ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth.
• In 2012, Williams became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, using ISS exercise equipment.

NASA’s Announcement

• NASA confirmed the milestone via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
• The agency continues to monitor Williams and Wilmore’s health and mission progress as they await their return.