Sunita Williams's 9th spacewalk tomorrow: When and how to watch
What's the story
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is gearing up for her second spacewalk in a fortnight. The extravehicular activity (EVA) will take place on tomorrow (January 30), and will last for about 6.5 hours. Williams, currently the commander of the International Space Station (ISS), will be joined by Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore. The astronauts are scheduled to switch their spacesuits to battery power at 6:30pm IST tomorrow, marking the official start of spacewalk. Live coverage will begin on NASA+ at 5:00pm IST.
Mission details
Williams and Wilmore's spacewalk objectives
The primary goal of the upcoming spacewalk is to remove a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the ISS. Along with this, Williams and Wilmore will also be tasked with looking for microbes on the orbital outpost. This mission comes after Williams's successful eighth spacewalk on January 16, where she replaced critical hardware and repaired the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
Record-breaking mission
Most experienced female spacewalker
Williams's upcoming spacewalk will be her ninth overall. If successful, she will become the most experienced female spacewalker in history. Currently, Peggy Whitson holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalking hours by a female astronaut, with 10 spacewalks totaling 60 hours and 21 minutes. After her recent spacewalk, Williams has logged 56 hours and 40 minutes. With tomorrow's EVA, she is set to surpass Whitson's record.
Extended mission
Williams's journey to ISS and extended stay
In June 2024, Williams and Wilmore reached the ISS for an eight-day mission onboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. However, due to various technical issues with the spacecraft, NASA opted to return it empty. Consequently, both astronauts have now spent nearly seven months in space and are only expected to return in March 2025.
Spacewalk prep
Preparation for the upcoming spacewalk
Ahead of their upcoming spacewalk, Williams and Wilmore started their day inside the Quest airlock. They reviewed their EVA procedures and serviced their spacesuit helmets. Next, they checked the fuel and power capacity of their Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) devices. These are critical safety equipment that would enable a spacewalker to maneuver back to the station if they become untethered.
New challenge
Williams re-learning how to walk
Williams has recently shared an astonishing challenge: she's forgotten what it's like to walk. She admitted that after so much time in space, she's struggling to recall the sensation of walking. Having spent months floating in zero gravity, Williams hasn't sat or laid down, and now she's finding it difficult to reconnect with the feeling of walking on solid ground.