On 30th January 2025, Sunita Williams broke the spacewalking record among women astronauts. Whose record did she surpass?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Peggy Whitson.
Explanation:
☛ On 30 January 2025, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams set a new world record for the most cumulative spacewalking time by a woman.
☛ She surpassed the previous record held by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who had logged 60 hours and 21 minutes across 10 spacewalks.
☛ Sunita Williams achieved this historic milestone during an extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the International Space Station (ISS).
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Peggy Whitson: She was the first female commander of the ISS and holds the US record for the highest cumulative time spent in space (675 days).
☛ Christina Koch: She holds the record for the longest single continuous spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and conducted the first all-female spacewalk alongside Jessica Meir in October 2019.
☛ Svetlana Savitskaya: The Soviet cosmonaut who became the first woman to perform a spacewalk on 25 July 1984.
☛ Sunita Williams: First traveled to space in December 2006 on mission STS-116 and has Indian-American heritage with ancestral roots in Gujarat.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Who was the first woman in history to perform a spacewalk? → Svetlana Savitskaya (USSR, 1984)
☛ Which two NASA astronauts carried out the first all-female spacewalk? → Christina Koch and Jessica Meir (October 2019)
☛ Who was the first human in history to conduct a spacewalk? → Alexei Leonov (USSR, March 1965)
☛ Who was the first American woman to perform a spacewalk? → Kathryn D. Sullivan (October 1984)
☛ Who holds the all-time world record for the highest number of spacewalks? → Anatoly Solovyev (16 spacewalks)