Lucknow Press
Sunita Williams: American astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams are still stranded in space. Both NASA and Boeing are trying to solve the problems of the Starliner spacecraft. The spacecraft is near the International Space Station.
Actually, Starliner is a space capsule built by Boeing Company under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Under this program, private companies provide services to send astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX is also another company providing similar services.
Eyes on NASA’s next move
At present, the big question is how will these two astronauts return. Science experts from all over the world are eyeing NASA’s next move as to how it will bring them back. Wilmore was the commander of this spacecraft and Williams was the pilot. This spacecraft built by Boeing Company went to the space station for the first time with a human. This spacecraft had overcome all the technical problems before the flight and was connected to the space station on June 6. But due to leakage of helium gas in its thruster and problems in the system, Starliner has been there since then.
NASA has two options
The NASA and Boeing teams are still trying to bring these astronauts back to Earth safely. In a report in the Indian Express, science expert Matthew Ward has been quoted as saying that NASA currently has two options. First, fix the problems of the spacecraft and bring these passengers back or bring the Starliner back without putting the passengers in the spacecraft.
Time has increased more than before
In such a situation, in the second option, Wilmore and Williams will have to return in February 2025 with SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. This will increase their stay there from the previously scheduled eight days to almost eight months. Although astronauts like Wilmore and Williams are very trained and experienced to live on the International Space Station, which they call their second home. But staying there for a long time also comes with health-related risks. And their time has increased even more than before.
If he returns in February, he will have to face eight months more radiation than initially thought. However, that is still a much lower dose than other astronauts. For example, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko spent more than 1,000 days in space, and is still there. His current stay began in March.
How are you spending your time?
For now, Wilmore and Williams are keeping busy while Starliner is there. They’ve also thrown themselves into work rotations with other ISS crew members, including four members of SpaceX Crew-8 and three members of the Soyuz MS-25 mission. They’re as busy as any other crew there
NASA is planning on both options
Meanwhile, NASA is monitoring this entire matter closely. NASA is planning on both these options. Experts say that right now it seems that NASA will decide by the end of August how Wilmore and Williams will return. If the final decision is in favor of bringing the Starliner crew back on the SpaceX capsule, Wilmore and Williams will be given suitable suits for return. At the same time, due to the repair work of Starliner, the next SpaceX flight to the space station will not start until at least September 24.
It might take a fair amount of time
At the same time, a report also said that the report of Boeing’s simulation tests has come OK. But until the spacecraft’s control system, thermal protection system and other systems are found to be working properly, it will not be possible to land both the astronauts safely on the earth. That is why it may take a considerable amount of time.
