NASA astronaut Suni Williams conducts 1st spacewalk after 7 months on ISS

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) – NASA astronaut Suni Williams, one of two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for seven months, conducted her first spacewalk Thursday during the extended mission.

Footage aired on NASA TV showed Williams, who has been aboard the ISS with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, stepping outside the station to conduct overdue outdoor repairs.

Williams radioed, “I’m coming out,” as she exited the station as the ISS orbited 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Turkmenistan.

The spacewalk, initially scheduled for last summer, was postponed due to technical issues.

Spacewalks were suspended after water leaked into an airlock from an astronaut suit’s cooling loop. NASA confirmed the issue had since been resolved.

Williams and Wilmore originally traveled to the ISS in June for a one-week test flight aboard Boeing's new Starliner capsule. A technical malfunction delayed the capsule’s return journey, however, prompting NASA to return it to Earth without passengers.

The astronauts are expected to remain on the ISS for approximately 10 months, with the return flight anticipated in late March or early April. The extended stay is due to delays in SpaceX’s replacement capsule, which has taken control of the mission.