Astronauts take historic spacewalk after being stranded
Astronauts who are currently stranded in space have successfully completed their first spacewalk, achieving a new record in the process.
TroibNews 
NASA's two stranded astronauts conducted their first spacewalk together on Thursday, marking a significant moment since their arrival at the International Space Station nearly eight months ago.
Commander Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore undertook the task of removing a malfunctioning antenna and cleaning the station's exterior to check for any microbes that might have survived the journey from Earth and escaped through the vents.
Initially facing difficulties unbolting the stubborn antenna, the astronauts successfully detached it nearly four hours after exiting the hatch. Mission Control advised them to be cautious of any floating debris resulting from the removal process.
While working 420 kilometers above the Earth, Williams achieved a new spacewalking record for female astronauts.
The duo had anticipated a brief one-week stay when they arrived at the space station last June. However, their new Boeing Starliner capsule experienced numerous issues, prompting NASA to decide on a return trip without them on board.
As a result, both test pilots, who are retired Navy captains, have remained in orbit until SpaceX can facilitate their return, which is not expected until late March or early April, extending their mission to ten months due to a delay in launching their replacements.
Williams had completed a spacewalk two weeks prior with another NASA astronaut, while this was Wilmore's first outing outside the station during this mission. Both astronauts have previously participated in spacewalks during their time on the space station.
With a total of nine spacewalks, Williams has now set a new record for women with the most cumulative time spent on spacewalks. The previous record, held by retired astronaut Peggy Whitson, was 60 hours and 21 minutes over ten spacewalks.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Commander Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore undertook the task of removing a malfunctioning antenna and cleaning the station's exterior to check for any microbes that might have survived the journey from Earth and escaped through the vents.
Initially facing difficulties unbolting the stubborn antenna, the astronauts successfully detached it nearly four hours after exiting the hatch. Mission Control advised them to be cautious of any floating debris resulting from the removal process.
While working 420 kilometers above the Earth, Williams achieved a new spacewalking record for female astronauts.
The duo had anticipated a brief one-week stay when they arrived at the space station last June. However, their new Boeing Starliner capsule experienced numerous issues, prompting NASA to decide on a return trip without them on board.
As a result, both test pilots, who are retired Navy captains, have remained in orbit until SpaceX can facilitate their return, which is not expected until late March or early April, extending their mission to ten months due to a delay in launching their replacements.
Williams had completed a spacewalk two weeks prior with another NASA astronaut, while this was Wilmore's first outing outside the station during this mission. Both astronauts have previously participated in spacewalks during their time on the space station.
With a total of nine spacewalks, Williams has now set a new record for women with the most cumulative time spent on spacewalks. The previous record, held by retired astronaut Peggy Whitson, was 60 hours and 21 minutes over ten spacewalks.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
