NASA's two astronaut crew members, who had been stuck on the International Space Station for almost eight months, took part in their first spacewalk together. Indian-origin commander Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore exited the station to conduct maintenance work and search for any surviving microbes on its exterior, which might have escaped from Earth through vents.
As Wilmore made his way outside, he expressed excitement for the venture, remarking on their location 420 kilometers above Spain. Originally, they had anticipated a one-week stay when they arrived at the station in June. However, complications with Boeing's Starliner capsule led NASA to decide to return it empty, leaving both test pilots—who are also retired Navy captains—stranded in orbit until SpaceX could send replacements. This delay meant that their mission would be extended to ten months, with their return not expected until late March or early April.
Williams had recently participated in a spacewalk with another NASA astronaut, while this outing marked Wilmore's first opportunity to venture outside during this mission. Both astronauts had previously accumulated spacewalk experience during their earlier stays at the space station.
In other news, for the first time in history, India has named ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). This mission will be particularly special as it marks the first time an Indian astronaut will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Scheduled to launch in spring 2025 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this mission highlights India's expanding role in international space exploration.
Additionally, the selection of Shukla is an important achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is connected to his involvement in India's Gaganyaan project, which is the country's first effort to send humans into space using its own technology.
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