Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has set a new record for the longest total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging an impressive 62 hours and 6 minutes.
Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, conducted another spacewalk on Thursday to remove degraded radio communication hardware and collect microorganism samples from the station’s exterior.
The spacewalk began at 7:43 AM Eastern Time (ET) and lasted for 5 hours and 26 minutes, concluding at 1:09 PM ET. This marked Williams’ ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth.
NASA acknowledged the achievement in a post on X, confirming that Williams surpassed the previous record of 60 hours and 21 minutes held by former astronaut Peggy Whitson. With her latest feat, Williams now ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalking list.
Williams, 59, has a history of remarkable accomplishments in space. In 2012, she became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, using a weight-lifting machine to simulate swimming and a treadmill with a harness to keep her grounded.
Originally, Williams and Wilmore were scheduled for an eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024. However, technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, made the Starliner unsafe for their return to Earth. NASA now plans to bring them back in late March aboard a SpaceX spacecraft.
Despite these unexpected challenges, Williams and Wilmore continue their work on the ISS, carrying out critical missions while awaiting their return home.
