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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams conducts spacewalk after seven months in orbit

Williams, the ISS commander, is teamed up with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague to complete overdue outdoor repairs.

Suni Williams tries on and evaluates her spacesuit aboard the International Space Station. (Photo: NASA via AP)

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams stepped out for her first spacewalk on Thursday after more than seven months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), reported AP.

Williams, the ISS commander, is teamed up with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague to complete overdue outdoor repairs. She is set to conduct another spacewalk next week with Butch Wilmore.

For Williams, this was her eighth spacewalk. A seasoned astronaut, she has previously lived aboard the space station.

The two astronauts originally launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule last June for what was planned as a weeklong test flight. However, technical issues with Starliner extended their mission, forcing NASA to return the capsule empty. Additional delays in the SpaceX launch of their replacements further prolonged their stay, with their return now expected in late March or early April, marking nearly 10 months in orbit.

Also Read: | Why Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is stuck in space

This spacewalk marked the first by NASA astronauts since an aborted attempt last summer, which had been halted due to water leakage from a cooling loop in an astronaut’s suit. NASA has since resolved the issue.

(With inputs from AP)

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