Sat Feb 01 01:16:59 IST 2025: ## Indian-American Astronaut Sunita Williams Shatters Spacewalk Record
**Houston, TX** – Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has made history, breaking the record for the most cumulative spacewalk time by a woman. During a 5-hour, 26-minute spacewalk on Thursday, Williams surpassed former astronaut Peggy Whitson’s previous record of 60 hours and 21 minutes, accumulating a total of 62 hours and 6 minutes of extravehicular activity (EVA).
The spacewalk, Williams’ ninth and colleague Butch Wilmore’s fifth, involved removing outdated communications equipment and collecting samples from the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) to search for microorganisms. The mission, originally planned for eight days, has been extended due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that transported Williams and Wilmore to the ISS in June 2024. Helium leaks and thruster malfunctions have delayed their return to Earth, now scheduled for late March aboard a SpaceX spacecraft.
Despite the unforeseen circumstances, Williams and Wilmore have continued their research and maintenance work on the ISS. Williams’ record-breaking achievement places her fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalk list. This latest accomplishment adds to her impressive resume, which already includes completing the first-ever space triathlon in 2012.
First Piper 