Nasa’s 2 Stuck Astronauts Take 1st Spacewalk Together

AP photo / NASA TV
U.S. astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Jan. 30.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts took their first spacewalk together on Jan. 30, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in.

Cmdr. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore removed a broken antenna and wiped the station’s exterior for evidence of any microbes that might still be alive after launching from Earth and escaping through vents.

After some initial trouble unbolting the balky antenna, the astronauts finally pried it off nearly four hours after popping out the hatch. Mission Control urged them to watch for any floating parts from the antenna removal.

During the job 420 kilometers up, Williams set a new spacewalking record for female astronauts.