Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has broken the record for the longest spacewalking time by a woman, surpassing the previous mark set by former astronaut Peggy Whitson. Williams has now accumulated a total of 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking time over nine spacewalks. This milestone was achieved during her most recent extravehicular activity (EVA) with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore on the International Space Station (ISS). The two have been on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, where they performed maintenance work outside the station.

Key Highlights

Record-Breaking Spacewalk

• Sunita Williams has now accumulated 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking time, breaking Peggy Whitson’s record of 60 hours and 21 minutes.
• Williams ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalking list.
• The record-breaking spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes, beginning at 7:43 am ET and ending at 1:09 pm ET.

Purpose of the Spacewalk

• Williams and Butch Wilmore removed degraded radio communications hardware.
• They collected samples to check for possible microorganisms on the exterior of the ISS.

Extended Stay on the ISS

• Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for an eight-day mission.
• Due to helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, NASA deemed the Starliner unsafe for their return.
• NASA now plans to bring them back to Earth in late March 2025 aboard a SpaceX spaceship.

Williams’s Achievements

• This was her ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth.
• In 2012, Williams became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, using ISS exercise equipment.

NASA’s Announcement

• NASA confirmed the milestone via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
• The agency continues to monitor Williams and Wilmore’s health and mission progress as they await their return.