NASA astronaut Suni Williams sets new record on 5.5-hour spacewalk outside ISS.

Two NASA astronauts working outside of the International Space Station on Thursday (Jan. 30) were able to finally remove a faulty radio communications unit, succeeding where two previous spacewalks had been unsuccessful.

The extended work needed to free the radio frequency group (RFG) by Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore came at a cost, though, as the two ran out of time to accomplish all of the tasks planned for Thursday’s EVA (extravehicular activity).

Williams and Wilmore, who launched together on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and are serving together on the station’s Expedition 72 crew, began the 5-hour and 26-minute spacewalk at 7:43 a.m, EST (1243 GMT). After configuring their tethers and tools, Wilmore moved to the RFG work site while Williams rode the Canadarm2 robotic arm to meet him at the S-band antenna on the starboard (or right-hand) side of the station’s backbone truss.

The removal of the failed RFG, a key component of the station's primary command and data antenna assembly, was first attempted in April 2023, when a central latching bolt refused to release. NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, who was on that earlier spacewalk, was in Mission Control on Thursday to advise Williams and Wilmore on the renewed attempt.

Source: www.space.com

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