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Sunita Williams: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who was on board the Boeing Starliner on June 6, 2024, is stranded in space. Originally the mission was for eight days only. She was scheduled to return to Earth on June 14, but due to a technical fault in the spacecraft, there has been no sign of her return even after 24 days since the mission began. Along with Sunita, her co-astronaut Barry Wilmore is also stranded in the 'International Space Station' (ISS). The mission has been interrupted due to an unexpected technical fault.
Have there been any technical glitches?
'Boeing Starliner' is a reusable spacecraft manufactured by the Boeing Company. It will be used to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. Before them, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore flew in the mission. However, on the way to the ISS, the Starliner's propulsion system encountered problems with helium leaks and thruster outages. If Hemkhem reached the ISS, he was gone, but now there is no courage to return until the problem is resolved. There is a cylindrical attachment at the bottom of the spacecraft, called the service module. It is the service module that provides most of the power to the spacecraft during flight. It was this service module of the Starliner that malfunctioned.
What is NASA doing?
The US space agency NASA is committed to solving the problems of Starliner and bringing both astronauts back to Earth and there is a lot of fanfare for this. If needed, NASA is also ready to extend the mission duration of Starliner to a maximum of 90 days. According to NASA, our engineers have not yet understood the exact cause of the problem in Starliner. To understand this, they are doing a ground test in New Mexico. As soon as the agreement is reached, it will be implemented and preparations for the return journey of Starliner will begin.
What is the problem with the service module?
It is important for NASA to know what caused the problem in the 'Service Module' so that similar disasters can be avoided in other missions in the future. The problem is that the Service Module does not return safely to Earth. During re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, excessive friction is created and the Service Module burns to ashes. Therefore, any research that is to be done regarding its shortcomings has to be done in space. That is why NASA kept the Starliner tied to the ISS, let's say 'parked' on the ISS.
What is Sunita Williams doing in space?
The problem will be solved when it is found, but until then Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will have to stay on the International Space Station. NASA said that both the astronauts are safe and are spending their time like astronauts. On Friday, they worked on space botany.