Spending months confined within the International Space Station (ISS) might not be everyone’s idea of leisure, given the lack of opportunities for spontaneous strolls.
While you could technically venture outside, it wouldn’t be as simple as just stepping out.
Nonetheless, astronauts Sunita Williams, 59, and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, 61, who have been stationed at the ISS since June last year, have managed to find ways to stay engaged – including setting a new world record for spacewalking.
Their journey initially began at Cape Canaveral Space Force on June 5 for what was intended to be an eight-day mission. However, due to technical issues with their spacecraft, they have remained there longer than planned.
NASA has made several attempts to bring them back, but it appears their return won’t occur until late March when SpaceX’s Crew-10 plans to visit.
Williams recently revealed that her prolonged stay in space has made her forget how to perform basic human activities, like walking.
During a call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts, she explained: “I’ve been up here long enough, right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down.”
They have been outside the ISS on spacewalks, and Williams recently achieved her ninth spacewalk, accumulating a total of 62 hours and six minutes.
The previous record for total spacewalk time by a woman, according to NASA, was held by Peggy Whitson in 2017, with a total of 60 hours and 21 minutes.
And when better to capture an amazing selfie than during a spacewalk?
Shared on NASA’s Instagram, William’s photo was taken while they were ‘removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss and collecting samples of surface material for analysis’ – 423 km above the Pacific Ocean (via NDTV).
If she aims to set another record, Williams could target Whitson’s record for the most spacewalks by a woman, as The Independent notes Whitson currently holds 10, while Williams has completed nine.
Although Williams and Wilmore are expected to be retrieved in a month, President Donald Trump has urged Elon Musk to expedite the process.