Sunita Williams, the Indian-born NASA astronaut, and her colleague Butch Wilmore safely returned from their extended space mission. Originally planned as an eight-day trip, their time aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was extended until February 2025 due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Go through the latest updates on Is Sunita Williams back on earth or not?
Is Sunita Williams back on earth?
Despite facing challenges like limited oxygen supplies and concerns about re-entry, NASA successfully brought them back using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission highlights the resilience and expertise of the astronauts and the NASA team in handling unexpected issues. Williams and Wilmore are now back on Earth, marking the end of a remarkable and extended journey in space.
What happened to Sunita Williams?
Indian-born Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, two other NASA astronauts, have been forced to prolong their time in space. There are still many possible concerns that NASA needs to consider, even if they are looking into ways to safely return the men to Earth shortly. The astronauts would find themselves stuck in space with only 96 hours of oxygen supplies, according to comments made by Rudy Ridolfi, a former commander of US military space programs, as reported by CNBC.
The return trip was supposed to happen in eight days, but due to Starliner spacecraft technical difficulties, it has now been delayed for more than two months. It is expected to be eight months behind schedule. Ridolfi also disclosed two further possibilities that the astronauts might encounter on their return trip to Earth.
An additional possibility is that the spacecraft’s incorrect alignment will prevent it from entering Earth’s atmosphere. If this occurs, the Starliner will become permanently trapped in space. Finally, he mentioned that astronauts could endanger their lives. According to him, Starliner’s heat shield may fail under extreme heat and friction if the spacecraft attempts to approach at a sharp angle.
The two astronauts aboard the spaceship may perish due to the spacecraft catching fire before it reaches the Earth. According to a different CNBC story, Williams, 58, has vision problems in space. A prolonged period of experiencing microgravity causes this syndrome.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship is planned to depart in September 2024, and NASA is thinking about returning the astronauts in this spacecraft. However, the incompatibility of spacesuits with Crew Dragon is one of the main safety issues here. NASA is investigating extra SpaceX combat suits for the Crew-9 Dragon flight, besides trying to find an approach to this problem.
What is Sunita Williams doing in space?
The voyage of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams aboard Starliner resembles a high-tech suspense film. It all began when NASA revealed that Sunita Williams and Bitch Wilmore, a fellow astronaut, would be the first to travel on the Boeing Starliner. The spacecraft’s return to Earth is now several months behind schedule, having first experienced a one-month delay in launch.
Who are Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams?
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams work for NASA. With the launch of the Starliner, astronaut Williams, who is of Indian descent, she made history as the first female pilot of a newly developed human-rated spacecraft. She is now on her third mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Starliner. Throughout her two missions, she logged 322 days in space. “With 50 hours and 40 minutes, she is second on the list of total cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut,” according to the report.
Barry E. Wilmore has been in space for 178 days and has been on two space missions. Throughout four spacewalks, he has accrued 25 hours and 36 minutes. His third trip to the International Space Station is for the Starliner mission. Moreover, he has left the US Navy as a captain.
Right now, where is Sunita Williams?
Due to continuous technical problems with the ship, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the International Space Station on June 6 aboard the Boeing Starliner, are not sure when they will return. Their mission, which was originally scheduled to last a week, may now last until February 2025, as NASA considers their safe return.
The idea of sending Starliner back to Earth without any crew members is being considered. This would mean that NASA would have to change the crew size on its SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which is scheduled for late September, from four to two astronauts. This would enable Williams and Wilmore to board Crew-9 again early in the next year.
NASA guarantees that the astronauts are comfortable and well-supplied on the International Space Station, considering the prolonged presence and ambiguity. “The International Space Station is fully stocked with whatever the crew requires, like food, drink, clothes, and oxygen, according to NASA. Northrop Grumman and Progress have just conducted resupply missions to guarantee sufficient supplies, while SpaceX has more missions scheduled for the rest of the year.
Can India help return Sunita Williams to Earth?
The Starliner spaceship encountered a malfunction, so NASA astronaut Sunita Williams had to stay in space longer than expected when she went up in June of this year. Originally, her mission was scheduled to terminate after a week. NASA is currently investigating safe return routes for her to Earth. When asked lately if India could assist in bringing her back, ISRO Chief S. Somanath replied that only the US and Russia could help her.
He stated, sadly, there’s nothing we can directly offer from India to help at this moment, throughout a conversation on the BeerBiceps podcast. There is no way we could send a craft to get her. The United States or Russia would be the only sources of possible alternatives. Both the Russian Soyuz and the US Crew Dragon spacecraft could be employed in a search and rescue operation.
Summing-Up
Our research reveals What happened to Sunita Williams, that Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is expected to return people to NASA in late September. Here’s all you need to know about NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who is the focus of attention as she returns from space: why several months have why postponed her return when she returns to Earth, and the risks she faces during her extended stay in microgravity.
FAQs- Sunita Williams back on earth
Q.1 What is the Boeing Crew Flight Test run by NASA?
Ans- This is the first time an astronaut has flown in a Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station. June 5 was the launch date. On June 6, it arrived at the International Space Station.
Q.2 What makes the Starliner mission crucial?
Ans- The only reason for this is because NASA needs two American spacecraft—in addition to Roscosmos’ Soyuz spacecraft that can transport people to assist guarantee a crew is always present on the orbiting complex. The purpose of the Boeing Crew Flight Test is to show that Starliner can carry out a six-month rotating trip to the space station.
Q.3 Why did the Starliner mission have an earlier delay?
Ans- There were two delays in the Starliner mission. At first, it was supposed to take off from Space Launch Complex-41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 6, 2024. NASA reported the launch was postponed until June 1 “because of a suspect oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur second stage.”
Q.4 How long was Starliner meant to stay in orbit?
Ans- To test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were scheduled to stay at the International Space Station for approximately one week.
Q.5 Why is there a delay in Starliner’s return?
Ans- Due to several problems with the Boeing spacecraft, the two astronauts will probably need to spend an additional few months on the International Space Station.
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