NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore made history on Thursday with a groundbreaking 5.5-hour spacewalk, setting a new record for the longest spacewalks conducted. This achievement marked Sunita Williams’ ninth spacewalk and Butch Wilmore’s fifth. Sunita Williams, who now holds the record for 62 hours and 6 minutes of total spacewalk time, ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time list for the most spacewalk hours.
During their spacewalk, the astronauts successfully completed their primary objectives, which included removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the International Space Station’s truss and collecting surface material samples from both the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock. The historic spacewalk also saw Sunita Williams surpass the previous spacewalking record set by former astronaut Peggy Whitson, who had a total of 60 hours and 21 minutes. The International Space Station shared the achievement, noting that Sunita Williams was still outside in the vacuum of space at the time, working on removing radio communications hardware.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had arrived at the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Initially expected to spend only eight days aboard the station, their stay was extended due to technical issues with their spacecraft. As a result, NASA adjusted the mission timeline, and SpaceX, Boeing’s rival company, was tasked with bringing the astronauts back to Earth. The astronauts were scheduled to return in February 2025, but this timeline was further delayed as SpaceX prepared a new spacecraft for their return.
This situation attracted attention from various quarters, with some high-profile figures commenting on the prolonged stay of the astronauts in space. In a controversial statement, SpaceX founder Elon Musk pointed fingers at the Biden administration for the delay, suggesting they had been “virtually abandoned in space.” US President Donald Trump also took to social media, expressing concern and urging SpaceX to bring the astronauts home as soon as possible. “I have asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to go get the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration,” he wrote on his Truth Social account.
The astronauts are now set to return to Earth at the end of March 2025 on the Crew 9 mission, completing nearly 300 days in space. Their extraordinary mission marks another significant milestone in NASA’s space exploration efforts.
