NASA’s Sunita Williams to repair NICER Telescope during her spacewalk! All about the mission
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Sunita Williams, accompanied by astronaut Nick Hague, will conduct a spacewalk on January 16 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The mission involves repairing the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
The astronauts will replace a critical rate gyro assembly, inspect and adjust the light filters of NICER, and replace a navigation reflector on a docking adapter. Additional checks will prepare tools and access points for future repairs to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
NICER will become the first NASA observatory repaired in orbit since the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in 2009.
Nick Hague will serve as the lead astronaut wearing a suit with red stripes, while Sunita Williams will wear an unmarked suit. This will be Williams' eighth spacewalk and Hague's fourth.
Sunita Williams will undertake another spacewalk on January 23 with astronaut Butch Wilmore. Tasks include removing an antenna assembly, collecting surface samples for analysis, and preparing a spare joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Testing for microbial life on the ISS exterior is also part of the agenda.
The January 16 and January 23 missions will mark the 273rd and 274th spacewalks in support of ISS assembly, maintenance, and upgrades, highlighting NASA's ongoing efforts to sustain the station.
Originally scheduled to return in February 2025, Williams' return to Earth has been delayed to March 2025 due to safety concerns with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
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