NASA Completing US Spacewalk 91 Outside ISS With Sunita&Nick

US Spacewalk 91 with NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Nick Hague

NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Nick Hague managed to perform a spacewalk on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). This was US Spacewalk 91, and it lasted around 6 and a half hours.

Mission Details

NASA Space Station began their live coverage at 6:30 PM IST. The coverage provided insight into the impressive work being done by the astronauts on the ISS. The goal was to ensure the ISS could effectively service science and research on a global level.

LIVE: Two @NASA_Astronauts, Nick Hague and Suni Williams, step outside of the @Space_Station to support station upgrades, including repairs to our NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) X-ray telescope. https://t.co/0VP296OmRY
— NASA (@NASA) January 16, 2025

US Spacewalk 91 Key Objectives

Four tasks were split during the mission so that they could be executed seamlessly.

Assembly of a Rate Gyro: If you’re wondering what this device is, it is a tool that is used to assist the ISS with its orientation while also ensuring the stability of the station when it goes into orbit.
Debris Protection on the NICER: The NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) functions as an x-ray telescope, and during the mission, the astronauts were able to add protective patches to the x-ray telescope, which aided in the repair of the light filters.

Upgrading Navigation Tools: A reflector device was changed out during the spacewalk. The reflector enables a docking adapter outside the station to support navigation.
Preparatory Checks: Hague and Williams evaluated tools, access points, and all the various elements necessary for them to assist during maintenance of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

Details of Astronauts

Nick Hague put on a crew member’s red-stripped space suit during his fourth spacewalk, while Suni Williams wore an unmarked suit during her eight spacewalk, with both spacewalks being conducted in a single instance by both spacewalkers being members of the same crew. This marks the 273rd instance of a spacewalk on the ISS to assist with the repair and maintenance of equipment.

Support and Next Missions

The mission was led by Bill Spetch, operations integration manager, and Nicole McElroy, spacewalk flight director, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The next spacewalk will occur on January 23, as suggested by NASA. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are astronauts who will replace an antenna assembly, collect surface samples for microorganism analysis, and prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Conclusion

The United States Spacewalk 91 provides a tangible example of NASA’s involvement in the enhancement and maintenance of the ISS. With these approaches, the ISS stays a significant hub for scientific research and worldwide collaboration.