NASA astronaut Suni Williams, one of two astronauts trapped on the International Space Station, ventured out on Thursday for his first spacewalk since arriving seven months ago.

Ms Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore were due to return to Earth at the end of their week-long mission in June 2024, but their return has been delayed due to technical issues.

They won't be back now until late March or April.

Ms. Williams is an experienced astronaut and has conducted numerous spacewalks during previous stays on the International Space Station. On Thursday, she worked with astronaut Nick Hague to perform maintenance on the spacecraft.

Their tasks included repairing equipment at the Control Station Orientation, patch filters on the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing the reflector assembly on the International Docking Adapter.

In addition, the pair will inspect access areas and connector tools that will be used for future maintenance of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle physics experiment module installed on the International Space Station.

Ms. Williams will join Mr. Wilmore on the second spacewalk on January 23.

Together, they will dismantle radio frequency group antenna assemblies (a collection of components designed to transmit and receive radio waves) and collect surface samples for microbial analysis.

They will also prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadaarm2 robotic arm, placing the joint in an optimal configuration for quick replacement if needed.

Each spacewalk is expected to last about six and a half hours.

NASA is making live coverage of two spacewalks available to watch here.

"Our preparations for all these EVAs (extravehicular activities) are going well," NASA Flight Director Nicole McElroy said at a press conference before the spacewalk.

“The crew on board have been working on their procedures, familiarizing themselves with all the tasks, and are very excited and looking forward to getting out there.”

In June 2024, Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore flew on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station.

However, technical problems including helium leaks and thruster failures meant Starliner's return was not safe.

Despite these setbacks, astronauts continue to work on the International Space Station while waiting to return home safely.