Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams went to the space station for 8 days. It is possible that now he will have to spend 8 months on the space station. Efforts are underway to bring Sunita and Butch Wilmore. But it will take time.
Table of Contents
NASA’s Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her partner Barry Wilmore can live in space for a long time. It may take a long time for the return of both astronauts. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are currently present in the International Space Station (ISS). Due to a fault in the Boeing Starliner, both the astronauts have not been able to return yet.Now meanwhile, the statement of American space agency NASA has come out. NASA has said that all options have been considered when planning to bring back the astronauts who went aboard the Boeing Starliner.
What went wrong with the Boeing Starliner?
The spacecraft Boeing Starliner carried Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5. This mission was only for eight days, but due to helium leak and thruster malfunction, the return of the astronauts was postponed. This was the first flight of the Boeing Starliner. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck in space for two months.
NASA officials said that all options have been considered while preparing the plan for the return of Boeing Starliner astronauts to Earth. One of the options is that both astronauts can return to Earth in 2025. SpaceX is also included in this plan. Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that NASA’s main option is to bring Wilmore and Sunita back with the Starliner spacecraft. But we have planned to ensure that we have other options open.
Read Also: NASA’s LRO Spots Japan’s SLIM and Rover on the Moon: See the Amazing Image
Steve Stich also said that NASA is working closely with Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. He further said in his statement that we want to work with SpaceX to ensure that they are ready to respond to Crew 9. If needed, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will be sent back to Crew 9. Earlier, NASA announced a delay in the SpaceX Crew 9 mission and said that its launch has been postponed till September 25. This mission was to be sent in August this month itself. It will take four crew members to the International Space Station.
The real story of the Starliner Spacecraft
Sunita Williams went to the space station in the Starliner spacecraft. This was its first manned trial flight. If you read the story of Starliner, you will know that this spacecraft has been surrounded by problems from the beginning till the end.
Sunita Williams flew the spacecraft i.e. Starliner capsule to the space station. This was its first manned trial flight. This means that for the first time a human was travelling to space in this capsule. This Starliner crew flight is a test spacecraft.
Could not connect to the space station in the first flight
The first unmanned orbital flight test took place on 20 December 2019. There was no human in this flight. But due to two software glitches, it reached another orbit. Docking with the space station could not happen. Two days later, it landed back at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Manoeuvring and thrusters failed on second flight
The second unmanned flight took place on 6 April 2020. The purpose was the same as the previous flight. But the launch had to be postponed 2 times due to some deficiencies found in the 13 propulsion valves of the spacecraft.
After this, Boeing rebuilt the entire spacecraft. Preparations were made for a trial flight in May 2022. On May 19, 2022, the Starliner flew again. This time two dummy astronauts were seated in it. That is, inanimate models looking like humans. But the orbital maneuvering and attitude control system thrusters failed.
Somehow, on 22 May 2022, Starliner was connected to the space station. On 25 May 2022, Starliner returned to Earth from the space station. During reentry, the navigation system of the spacecraft malfunctioned. Communication went haywire. Also, the connection with the GPS satellite was lost. But Boeing said this is normal.
Sunita’s third flight was being postponed for 7 years
The third manned flight was scheduled for 2017. But due to several reasons, it got delayed till July 2023. On 1 June 2023, Boeing said that we are postponing this flight. On 7 August 2023, the company said that all the problems of the spacecraft have been resolved. The next flight was scheduled for 6 May 2024. That is, this year.
But then this launch was postponed because there was some problem with the oxygen valve in the Atlas rocket. After this, the launch was postponed due to a helium leak in the spacecraft. Finally, on June 5, Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore left for space with this spacecraft. They were supposed to return 8 days later on June 13, but till now they are stuck on the space station.
Sunita Williams likely facing eyesight issues
Sunita Williams is also facing health problems. The reason behind this problem is said to be prolonged exposure to microgravity. Sunita Williams’ problem is known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). It affects fluid distribution in the body during this period, causing vision problems. This causes blurred vision and can also change the structure of the eye. Williams’ retina, cornea and lens have been scanned to find out the health of her eyes.
When will Sunita Williams return from space?
The NASA official mentioned the launch of Mission Crew 9 and how they have prepared a plan to bring back the two passengers stranded in space on the Starliner. He said that the goal is to bring Sunita Williams and Wilmore back to Earth by 2025. He said that the Dragon has been set up for Mission Crew 9 so that it has flexibility. Only two passengers fly on that flight and then we can bring back four crew members to Earth in February 2025. These two astronauts will be Wilmore and Sunita Williams.
But he said that this plan has not been approved yet. The spacecraft Boeing Starliner went into space on June 5 carrying Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore. The astronauts could not return due to helium leak and thruster malfunction in the Starliner. Engineers in space and on the ground are working hard to fix the problem and ensure safe return of the astronauts.
Tweets by Commercial_Crew
