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Astronaut Sunita Williams passed the previous spacewalking record of 60 hours and 21 minutes previously held by Peggy Whitson when she achieved the new milestone on January 30.
The International Space Station posted on social media that astronaut Sunita Williams established a new record by completing the spacewalk with Butch Wilmore that lasted 5.5 hours within Expedition 72.
Williams’ Spacewalk and Mission Objectives
Maintenance activities and surface material sample collection took place at 8 AM EST from the Destiny laboratory and Quest airlock to support ISS hardware maintenance and analysis purposes.
The two astronauts Williams and Wilmore carried out their mission while wearing their red-striped suits and unmarked suits respectively.
This marked Williams’ ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth.
The spacewalk broadcast through NASA's official YouTube channel and website became their 92nd American spacewalk while running live.
Asteroids and Sun studies became a new mission for the Expedition 72 crew members who joined the ISS on September 2024.
Why Was Williams’ Return to Earth Delayed?
Since June 2024 Williams and Wilmore have stayed at the ISS because Boeing Starliner spacecraft has encountered technical issues resulting in their Earth return delays.
On X (formerly Twitter) SpaceX founder Elon Musk commented about the situation when he said:
SpaceX received an order from President Trump to retrieve the ISS astronauts as a top priority. We will do so. It is appalling how the Biden administration allowed the astronauts to remain there for such an extended period.
Trump’s Response and Political Debate
During a press conference Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of discarding the astronauts in space. On Truth Social, he posted:
SpaceX founder Elon Musk now plans to retrieve the two brave astronauts who have been left unaided by the Biden administration in space following my request for intervention. Both astronauts have spent their time at @Space Station waiting for numerous months. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"
A nationwide controversy exists in the United States about what happened to Wilmore and Williams as some believe they were stranded but others attribute their delay to technical difficulties. Research show that astronauts maintained full safety at all times since the specified delay period started.
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