Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore might not return to Earth until February 2025 | Technology News
When Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore boarded Boeing’s new Starliner in June, as the first crew to test it, they were supposed to return to Earth within a week. However, as soon as the Starliner docked at the International Space Station (ISS), the capsule started to experience thruster failure and a helium leak. This has indefinitely postponed the return of these astronauts back to Earth.
Nasa is said to be contemplating using the SpaceX Dragon capsule, a tried and tested reusable spacecraft, as an alternative approach to bring these astronauts back. This also means Williams and Wilmore will be stuck at the ISS at least until February 2025, as Dragon’s next mission was recently postponed.
The situation raises several concerns regarding the mission, including the well-being of the astronauts and how equipped the ISS is to host these astronauts for the next six months.
@Astro_Suni installs hardware for the SoFIE-MIST investigation, which aims to improve our understanding of material flammability in space and help address fire safety aboard @Space_Station and on future missions. pic.twitter.com/rJdXNhzvKl
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) August 7, 2024
According to reports, due to the longer exposure to microgravity on the ISS, astronauts might experience several health-related issues such as bone density reduction, vision-related issues, and are also at a higher risk of cancer due to DNA damage. This is why space exploration missions are kept short, not lasting more than a few weeks.
Is the ISS equipped to host astronauts for six more months?
The simplest answer to this question is yes. The ISS is more than equipped to handle all the requirements of these astronauts without any doubt. The ISS is a big space facility, measuring 356 feet or 109 meters, as big as an average American football stadium. The living and working area is also as large as a six-bedroom house, minus the luxury.
Right now, Williams and Wilmore aren’t the only people on the ISS; there are seven more astronauts on the space station – four from America and three from Russia.
The ISS is equipped with oxygen-generation units, which are capable of capturing oxygen from what the astronauts’ exhale. When it comes to water, the ISS is equipped with technology that can capture moisture in space and convert it into water. There is also equipment that can purify urine into potable water.
For now, the ISS is said to have enough rations to handle the current demand, and all the food supplied to the ISS is specially cooked at NASA’s Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston by considering nutritional requirements and appetite.
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The food spread at the ISS is rather exemplary and includes popular choices like barbecued beef brisket, vegetables, eggs, and even dessert. These are replenished often, very recently, on August 6, by the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-21 cargo spacecraft, which carried food, additional essentials, and also clothes for these astronauts.
For now, there are no immediate challenges for astronauts for Williams and Wilmore, but the wait for their return to Earth continues to be indefinite.
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