Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore, NASA's 2 stuck astronauts take their first spacewalk together (WATCH)
Two NASA astronauts, left stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after their spacecraft was deemed unfit for return, embarked on their first spacewalk together on Thursday—nearly eight months after their unexpected extended stay.
FollowTwo NASA astronauts, left stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after their spacecraft was deemed unfit for return, embarked on their first spacewalk together on Thursday—nearly eight months after their unexpected extended stay.
Commander Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore ventured outside the ISS, orbiting 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Spain, to carry out maintenance and conduct a unique experiment—swiping the station’s exterior to check for surviving microbes that may have hitched a ride from Earth and escaped through vents.
“Here we go,” Wilmore remarked as he emerged into the vast expanse of space, marking a significant moment in their prolonged mission.
Originally, the duo had planned to spend just one week at the ISS when they arrived in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. However, persistent technical glitches with the spacecraft forced NASA to scrap the idea of bringing it back with its crew. Instead, Starliner was returned to Earth empty, leaving the two veteran test pilots—both retired Navy captains—waiting for another way home.
Their ticket back to Earth now lies with SpaceX, but delays in launching their replacements have pushed their return to late March or early April, stretching their mission to an unforeseen 10 months.
Williams had already completed a spacewalk two weeks ago with another NASA astronaut. For Wilmore, this marked his first extravehicular activity during this mission, though both have logged spacewalks in previous ISS assignments.
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