by CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — One of NASA’s two stranded astronauts got a welcome change of scenery Thursday as she took her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago.
Suni Williams, the station’s commander, along with NASA’s Nick Hague, had to tackle some long-overdue outdoor repair work. They appeared as the orbiting laboratory sailed 260 miles (420 kilometers) over Turkmenistan.
“I’m coming out,” Williams radioed.
Trusted news and daily delights straight to your inbox
See for yourself – The Yodel is your destination for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
The plans called for Williams to go out again next week with Butch Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore took off on what was supposed to be a week-long test flight aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June.
But Starliner problems delayed their return and NASA ordered the capsule returned empty. Then SpaceX delayed the launch of their replacement rockets, meaning the pair won’t be home until late March or early April – 10 months after launch.
It was the first spacewalk by NASA astronauts since an aborted spacewalk last summer. US spacewalks have been put on hold after water from the cooling circuit for an astronaut’s suit leaked into the airlock. NASA said the problem had been resolved.
It was the eighth spacewalk for Williams, who has lived on the space station before.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Science and Educational Media Group of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
