New Delhi:Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been trapped in space for more than three months, will be able to return to Earth in an emergency, media reports citing NASA said. Meanwhile, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was carrying the two astronauts on a space expedition that was supposed to last nearly a week, returned safely to Earth on September 6, but without them.
The spacecraft had been docked at the International Space Station (ISS) for more than three months due to a helium leak and a failure of several thrusters. The test flight with the two astronauts was due to return to Earth in just over a week, after arriving at the space station on 6 June.
Due to the issues that arose with the Starliner, NASA postponed the duo’s return trip until February 2025, but the US space agency has some plans in place in case the duo needs to leave the ISS in an emergency.
Reports citing NASA said: “The International Space Station crew and ground teams have completed configuring the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft supporting Crew-8 to now serve as an emergency return spacecraft for Butch and Suni, if needed, until NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission arrives after launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24.”
Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
NASA delayed its return citing the death of Kalpana Chawla
The decision to delay the duo’s return was taken based on experiences gained from past missions, most notably the Columbia mission, where the faulty Columbia spacecraft broke up, claiming the lives of all seven crew members on board, including Indian-origin Kalpana Chawla, during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA noted: “During Starliner’s flight to the space station, some of the spacecraft’s thrusters did not perform as expected and several leaks were observed in Starliner’s helium system. Since then, NASA and Boeing have taken additional time to learn more about the spacecraft through in-flight and ground testing and thorough analysis of the data before making the best, safest decision about how and when to return the crew home. This analysis included the processes and organizations put in place as a result of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.”
Are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore alone in space?
Sharing more details about their missions on the International Space Station, NASA has revealed that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are joined by many others in the outside world. Notably, both have now joined the Expedition 71 crew, which consists of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Tracy C. Dyson, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin.
Given the extended stay in space, the duo is now engaged in several activities that could prove crucial in the field of space exploration. According to NASA, in addition to supporting research and maintenance of the station, they have been experimenting with new ways to produce fiber optic cables and grow plants on board the orbital complex.
Sunita trapped in space
Wilmore and Sunita Williams had lifted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, which arrived at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters. After concerns about astronaut safety, NASA announced on Aug. 24 that Starliner would return to Earth from the station uncrewed. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
NASA’s plan for human exploration of the Moon and Mars
The crewed flight test, in which Williams is participating, is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This is already providing additional time for research and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
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