Astronauts Nick Hague and Sunita Williams conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, January 16.

The six-and-a-half-hour operation focuses on critical maintenance and upgrades to the station.

Hague, wearing a red-striped suit, and Williams, in an unmarked suit, are performing the 273rd spacewalk.

The pair are set to replace a rate gyro assembly crucial for the ISS's orientation, repair light filters for the NICER X-ray telescope, and update navigational equipment on an international docking adapter.

Additional tasks include inspecting tools and access points for future repairs to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.