NASA's Stuck Astronauts Successfully Complete Their First Spacewalk Together

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NASA's Stuck Astronauts Successfully Complete Their First Spacewalk Together

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NASA's Stuck Astronauts Successfully Complete Their First Spacewalk Together

Credited from: HUFFPOST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s two stranded astronauts, Commander Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, took their first spacewalk together on Thursday, nearly eight months after arriving at the International Space Station. The pair exited the station 260 miles above Spain to conduct essential maintenance work and to wipe down the station's exterior, looking for evidence of any microbes potentially surviving post-launch. “Here we go,” said Wilmore as they began their task.

Initially, the astronauts anticipated a brief week-long stay upon their arrival in June. However, complications with Boeing’s Starliner capsule led NASA to return it empty, resulting in an extended mission duration. This delay leaves Williams and Wilmore in orbit until SpaceX can bring them home, with expected return in late March or early April, pushing their total time in space to a remarkable ten months.

While this was Wilmore’s first venture outside on this mission, Williams had previously completed a spacewalk two weeks earlier with another astronaut. Both are experienced, having each participated in multiple spacewalks during their prior missions to the space station.

For further details, read more from AP News, The Guardian, and HuffPost.