NASA's 2 Stuck Astronauts Take their 1st Spacewalk Together

In this image, made from NASA TV, US astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
In this image, made from NASA TV, US astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
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NASA's 2 Stuck Astronauts Take their 1st Spacewalk Together

In this image, made from NASA TV, US astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
In this image, made from NASA TV, US astronaut Suni Williams works outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

NASA’s two stuck astronauts took their first spacewalk together Thursday, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in.

Commander 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 260 miles (420 kilometers) up, Williams set a new spacewalking record for female astronauts, The Associated Press reported.

The pair expected to stay just a week when they arrived at the space station last June. But their brand new ride, Boeing’s Starliner capsule, encountered so much trouble that NASA decided to return it empty.

That left the two test pilots, both retired Navy captains, in orbit until SpaceX can bring them home. That won’t happen until late March or early April, extending their mission to 10 months because of a SpaceX delay in launching their replacements.

Williams performed a spacewalk two weeks ago with another NASA astronaut. It marked Wilmore's first time outside this trip. Both racked up spacewalks during previous space station stays.

With nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record for women: the most time spent spacewalking over a career. Retired astronaut Peggy Whitson held the old record of 60 hours and 21 minutes, accumulated over 10 spacewalks.



Santorini Seismic Activity Down But Schools Stay Shuttered

A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
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Santorini Seismic Activity Down But Schools Stay Shuttered

A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou

Seismic activity on the Aegean Sea hotspot of Santorini has been "decreasing" over recent days but schools will remain closed for another week, according to authorities on the Greek island.

Thousands of earthquakes, mainly of a low magnitude, have been recorded between Santorini and Amorgos, islands in the Cyclades group southeast of the Greek mainland. They have yet to cause either casualties or significant damage but have worried authorities and residents.

"Seismic activity in the maritime region between Thira (Santorini) and Amorgos is decreasing," the ministry of civil protection said in a press release late Saturday following a meeting with the national commission of seismologists.

According to AFP, the ministry attributed the activity to a combination of tectonic movement and deep magmatic activity.

The region has not experienced a phenomenon of such magnitude since records began in 1964, experts say.

Located where the African and Anatolian tectonic plates converge, the Aegean Sea is often hit by earthquakes.

Known for its spectacular volcanic caldera, a large depression that forms when a volcano erupts and collapses, Santorini is also part of a volcanic arc with two underwater volcanoes near to its coast, Nea Kameni and Kolumbo, which last erupted in 1950 and 1650 respectively.

Authorities put the level of seismic activity inside the caldera as similar to recent days, noting a decrease in the rate of local ground deformation.

The ministry aid preventative measures would remain in force, urging residents to be alert to the risk of landslides.

Schools will meantime remain closed until Friday on Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Anafi and Amorgos while a ministerial assessment meeting will be held Thursday.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in Santorini and Amorgos at the start of February for a month, with schools closing while a majority of Santorini residents elected to leave the island, which saw 3.4 million visitors in 2023, leading to complaints of over-tourism.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently announced a support package for local businesses and workers on the island, one of Greece's most popular tourism destinations.