Sunita Williams makes a comeback to spacewalks after 12 years, read details
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is set to make history with her first spacewalk in 12 years. Get the latest updates on her mission
Sunita Williams is preparing for her first spacewalk in 12 years, a historic moment in her remarkable career. On January 16, she will join astronaut Nick Hague in a critical spacewalk to repair the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The key job is replacement of a rate gyro assembly. Williams and Hague will be required to do with this essential job in maintaining ISS’s orientation while also inspecting the light filters of the NICER telescope, as well as replacing a reflector device utilized for navigation at one of the station’s docking adapters, followed by access checks on Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer access ports. Notably, NICER will become the first NASA observatory to undergo repairs in orbit since the Hubble Space Telescope’s servicing mission in 2009.
Just a few days later, on January 23, Williams is scheduled to take another spacewalk, this time with astronaut Butch Wilmore. They will disconnect an antenna assembly, collect some surface samples and prepare a spare joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. This time, the excursion will also target testing for microbial life on the outside of the space station and will be the 274th spacewalk assigned to the upkeep of the ISS.
Williams will walk into space on January 16, marking the eighth spacewalk of her astronaut experience, out of seven others. This very moment is significant for Williams since she will be returning to Earth in March 2025 as the return date initially set had been delayed on safety grounds following Boeing Starliner issues.
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On Jan. 16, @NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will exit the space station to repair the NICER X-ray telescope. Hague, along with station astronaut Don Pettit, trained for the spacewalk last year. More… https://t.co/RKGk6DOWVe https://t.co/GpQBetjtOs
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) January 8, 2025
