Sunita Williams will perform her first spacewalk in 12 years. According to a statement from NASAshe will join fellow astronaut Nick Haig on a mission (January 16) to repair the Neutron Star Interior Constituency Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In addition to this, Sunita Williams is scheduled to participate in another spacewalk in the next few days. Both of these spacewalks are part of NASA's ongoing efforts to upgrade and maintain the ISS.
These missions will be conducted as “US Extravehicular Activity 91'' on January 16th and “US Extravehicular Activity 92'' on January 23rd.
January 16th spacewalk
Sunita Williams will work with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Haig on January 16 to replace the critical-velocity gyro assembly, which plays a key role in maintaining the station's orientation. .
In addition to this, the pair will examine the optical filters of the NICER (Neutron Star Interior Constituent Explorer) X-ray telescope and replace the reflector used for navigation on one of the station's docking adapters.
The team will also check various access points and tools that will be used for future maintenance of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an important scientific instrument.
NICER will be the first NASA observatory to undergo repairs in orbit since the 2009 Hubble Space Telescope maintenance mission.
The International Space Station shared mission details on social media, revealing that the spacewalk on January 16 will focus on repairing the NICER telescope.
“On January 16, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams exit the space station to repair the NICER X-ray telescope. Hague, along with astronaut Don Pettit, trained for an extravehicular activity last year. ” ISS shared on X (formerly Twitter).
January 16th, @NASA_Astronauts Nick Haig and Suni Williams will leave the space station to repair the NICER X-ray telescope. Haag trained for spacewalks last year with station astronaut Don Pettit. more… https://t.co/RKGk6DOWVe https://t.co/GpQBetjtOs
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) January 8, 2025
According to NASA, Sunita Williams, the second crew member to leave the station, will wear an unmarked suit, while Nick Haig, the lead EVA 1 crew member, will wear a suit with red stripes. You will have to wear a suit.
This will be Sunita Williams' eighth spacewalk and Nick Haig's fourth. This spacewalk will be the 273rd spacewalk to support assembly, maintenance, and upgrades of the ISS.
January 23rd Spacewalk
This extravehicular activity will also be an important task. This time, she will work with astronaut Butch Wilmore to remove the antenna assembly from the station's truss, collect surface samples for analysis, and prepare a spare joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
The spacewalk will also include testing for microorganisms outside the space station. This event marks the 274th spacewalk dedicated to the continued maintenance and improvement of the ISS.
Sunita Williams was originally scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025, but her return was delayed due to safety concerns surrounding the Boeing Starliner. She is currently scheduled to return in March 2025.
