CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) 鈥� NASA鈥檚 took their first spacewalk together Thursday, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in.
Commander floated out to perform maintenance work and wipe the station鈥檚 exterior for evidence of any microbes that might still be alive after launching from Earth and escaping through vents.
鈥淗ere we go,鈥� Wilmore said as he emerged 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Spain.
The pair expected to stay just a week when they . But their brand new ride, Boeing鈥檚 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鈥檛 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 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.
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Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
