NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams achieved a significant milestone on January 30 by exceeding the previous record for total spacewalking time held by former astronaut Peggy Whitson. Williams has now accumulated over 60 hours and 21 minutes of extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS officially recognized this accomplishment, announcing that Williams was actively engaged in removing radio communications hardware while in the vacuum of space.As a member of Expedition 72, Williams undertook this spacewalk to perform essential maintenance on ISS hardware and to gather surface material samples from the Destiny laboratory and Quest airlock. This event marked the 92nd U.S. spacewalk and was broadcast live by NASA. Williams was accompanied by astronaut Butch Wilmore, making this her ninth spacewalk and his fifth. Both astronauts, who arrived at the ISS in 2024, are expected to conclude their mission in March 2025.
Meanwhile, their return to Earth has sparked political controversy, with President Donald Trump asserting on Truth Social that the astronauts had been “abandoned in space” by the Biden administration. However, this portrayal of Wilmore and Williams as “stranded” has been challenged, as they were never in peril and could have returned at any moment using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They are still on track to return with the Crew 9 mission at the end of March, completing nearly 300 days in space, although NASA officials have indicated that an early return could disrupt ISS operations by leaving only one U.S. astronaut on board.
