NASA astronaut steps out for long-awaited spacewalk after 7-month delay

After over seven months in orbit, NASA astronaut Suni Williams finally got a refreshing change of pace on Thursday, stepping out for her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station.

Williams, the station's commander, partnered with fellow astronaut Nick Hague to address overdue repairs outside the station. Plans are already in place for Williams to conduct another spacewalk next week with astronaut Butch Wilmore.

The duo initially launched last June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule on what was meant to be a weeklong test flight. However, technical issues with the capsule extended their stay, forcing NASA to return the Starliner to Earth without passengers. Compounding the delay, SpaceX postponed the launch of their replacements. Now, Williams and Wilmore aren’t expected back on Earth until late March or early April, stretching their mission to ten months.

This mission marked Williams’ eighth spacewalk and the first U.S. spacewalk since last summer’s suspension, which followed water leakage into an airlock during suit cooling operations. NASA confirmed that the issue has been resolved.

Williams, who is no stranger to life aboard the station, embraced the opportunity to step outside and continue her legacy of contributions to NASA’s space exploration endeavors.