NASA’s stuck astronaut Sunita Williams steps out on spacewalk after seven months in orbit

This undated handout picture from NASA released on July 2, 2024 shows NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
| Photo Credit: AFP

One of NASA’s two stuck astronauts got a much welcomed change of scenery Thursday, stepping out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago.

Sunita Williams, the station’s commander, had to tackle some overdue outdoor repair work alongside NASA’s Nick Hague. They emerged as the orbiting lab sailed 420km above Turkmenistan.

“I’m coming out,” Ms. Williams radioed.

Plans called for Ms. Williams to float back out next week with Butch Wilmore. Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June on what should have been a weeklong test flight.

But Starliner trouble dragged out their return, and NASA ordered the capsule to come back empty. Then SpaceX delayed the launch of their replacements, meaning the two won’t be home until late March or early April — ten months after launching.

It was the first spacewalk by NASA astronauts since an aborted one last summer. U.S. spacewalks were put on hold after water leaked into the airlock from the cooling loop for an astronaut’s suit. NASA said the problem has been fixed.

This was the eighth spacewalk for Ms. Williams, who has lived on the space station before.