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Sunita Williams scripted history with her ninth spacewalk, surpassing former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut.
Space enthusiasts have labelled it as a “history selfie.” (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Sunita Williams, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), clicked the “ultimate selfie” on January 30. The photograph, shared by NASA on Instagram, was captured during her ninth spacewalk when the ISS orbited 423 km above the Pacific Ocean. The breathtaking shot featured Williams’ reflection in the visor of her spacesuit helmet. Part of the ISS was visible, along with the darkness of space and the deep blue hues of the Pacific Ocean on the left.
Sharing the picture on Instgaram, NASA said, “Suni Williams took this selfie on Jan. 30, 2025, as the @ISS orbited 263 miles (423 km) above the Pacific Ocean. This irresistible photo op happened during Williams’ ninth spacewalk; she and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore removed hardware from the outside of the station and collected samples of surface material from sites near life support system vents — the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock — for analysis.”
During their ninth spacewalk, William and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore remained out for 5.5 hours, removing hardware from the outside of the station and collecting samples of surface material from sites near life support system vents for analysis. These would help NASA study whether the space station releases microorganisms and how far they may travel. The samples would further determine whether the microorganisms would survive and reproduce in the harsh space environment. Thereby, throwing light on their performance in places like the Moon and Mars.
Soon after posing, the celestial image caught the attention of netizens who were in awe. Reacting to the snap, a user wrote, “Struck with awe at such a sight.” Another wrote, “I can’t believe I am in the picture.” Another humorously noted, “So the Earth is not plane at all, it’s donut shaped.” The praise continued with a user saying, “This is the best selfie ever in the whole world history.”
The space agency also informed that Williams has scripted history with her ninth spacewalk. She surpassed former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut. Standing fourth on NASA’s all-time list, she now has 62 hours and 6 minutes of total spacewalk time.
Williams and Wilmore have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical issues in their Starlight spacecraft. Around August, NASA announced that they would work with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring the astronauts home in February. However, their return has been delayed. They are now expected to return in March 2025 on the Crew 9 mission after spending nearly 10 months in space.
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