Fri Jan 31 04:48:16 UTC 2025: **NASA Astronauts Set Record During Extended Space Station Stay**
HOUSTON, TX – NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore completed a record-breaking 5.5-hour spacewalk on Thursday, marking Williams’ ninth spacewalk and Wilmore’s fifth. The spacewalk, which exceeded the initially scheduled 6.5 hours, brought Williams’ total spacewalk time to 62 hours and 6 minutes, surpassing former astronaut Peggy Whitson’s record and placing her fourth on NASA’s all-time list.
During the excursion, the astronauts successfully removed a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the International Space Station (ISS) and collected surface material samples for analysis. The spacewalk comes amidst ongoing controversy surrounding their extended stay aboard the ISS.
Initially scheduled for an eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner in June 2024, technical issues grounded their return. Subsequently, SpaceX was tasked with the repatriation mission, initially planned for February, but delayed due to spacecraft preparations.
The delay sparked a public spat between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and the Biden administration, with Musk controversially blaming the administration for the astronauts’ prolonged stay. President Trump intervened, publicly requesting Musk’s assistance in bringing Williams and Wilmore home. The astronauts are now scheduled for return on the Crew 9 mission at the end of March 2025, after nearly 300 days in space.
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