Following her successful eighth spacewalk, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is preparing for another spacewalk from the International Space Station. On January 30, Williams, along with Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore, will embark on a 6.5-hour spacewalk. During this mission, the duo will work together to remove communications equipment and search for microbes on the station.

NASA updated that the duo will spend approximately six-and-a-half hours removing a radio frequency antenna assembly and searching for microbes on the orbital outpost.

For the unversed, Williams and Wilmore arrived at the Space Station for an eight-day mission aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. However, technical issues forced NASA to return the spacecraft empty. They have now spent nearly seven months in space and are expected to return in March 2025.

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NASA reported that in preparation for the spacewalk, Williams and Wilmore began their day inside the Quest airlock, reviewing spacewalk procedures and servicing their spacesuit helmets. They then checked the fuel and power levels of their SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue) systems, which would allow a spacewalker to maneuver back to the station in the rare event they become untethered.

On January 16, Sunita Williams exited the Space Station to replace critical hardware and repair the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.

NASA stated, "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."

During US Spacewalk 91, astronauts Williams and her colleague Hague successfully completed a series of tasks. After installing a new gyro, Hague stowed the replaced unit, and ground control confirmed the gyro's functionality. Williams then replaced a reflector on the Harmony module, vital for guiding incoming spacecraft, while Hague worked on repairing the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope. This mission was especially significant for Williams, as it marked her return to extravehicular activities after a 12-year break.

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