NASA astronaut Sunita Williams sets spacewalking record amid controversy

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams made history on January 30, by surpassing the record for total spacewalking time previously held by former astronaut Peggy Whitson. Williams exceeded Whitson's 60-hour, 21-minute mark while conducting maintenance outside the International Space Station (ISS).

The milestone was confirmed in a post on X by the ISS account, stating, "NASA astronaut Suni Williams just surpassed former astronaut Peggy Whitson's total spacewalking time... Suni is still outside in the vacuum of space removing radio communications hardware."

During the spacewalk, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore carried out essential maintenance, including collecting surface material samples from the Destiny laboratory and Quest airlock for analysis. This spacewalk, part of Expedition 72, commenced at 8 am EST and was live-streamed by NASA.

It marked Williams' ninth extravehicular activity (EVA) and Wilmore's fifth. Williams, identifiable by the red-striped spacesuit, worked alongside Wilmore, who wore an unmarked suit. The spacewalk was planned to last approximately six and a half hours.

The achievement comes amid political controversy surrounding the extended stay of Williams and Wilmore on the ISS. Their return to Earth, initially scheduled for 2024, was delayed due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule.

The delay led to criticism from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who wrote on X, "The President has asked SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the ISS as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long."

Former President Donald Trump echoed Musk’s sentiments, posting on Truth Social, "I have asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to go get the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration. They have been waiting for many months... Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"

Despite these claims, NASA officials have refuted the characterization of the astronauts as "stranded." While their return was delayed, contingency plans were always in place, including the option of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Crew 9 mission at the end of March 2025, completing nearly 300 days in space. NASA has emphasised that an early return could disrupt ISS operations, as it would leave only one U.S. astronaut on board to oversee critical tasks.