NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has been in space much longer than she expected. She was supposed to come home after an eight-day mission with astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore on Boeing’s Starliner. But because of some issues with the spacecraft, they’ve been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for over eight months!
Since Boeing’s Starliner can’t bring them back, NASA is asking Elon Musk’s SpaceX for help. Even former U.S. President Donald Trump noticed this and told Musk to bring them home quickly.
Talks About Life in SpaceSunita
During a video call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts, Sunita shared how hard it is to be away from Earth for so long. She said, “I’ve been up here long enough. Right now, I’m trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down.” Being in space without gravity changes how astronauts’ bodies work, causing them not to use their muscles and bones the same way as they do on Earth.
Why Can’t Starliner Bring Them Home?
The Starliner was supposed to safely return Sunita and Butch, but it faced several problems, like engine issues and helium leaks. Because of these safety worries, NASA decided to send the spacecraft back without the astronauts.
Now, Sunita and Butch are waiting for another way home, and NASA has turned to SpaceX since they have successfully managed crewed space missions.
Can SpaceX Rescue Them?
NASA plans to bring Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. They are hoping this will happen by March 2025. If all goes well, they will have spent almost a whole year in space, way longer than they planned!
SpaceX has been great at launching and returning astronauts safely with their Dragon spacecraft. They are now getting ready to ensure Sunita and Butch come home safely.
Trump Gets Involved
The long wait caught Trump’s attention, and he mentioned that the astronauts seemed “abandoned.” He asked Elon Musk on social media to “go get” the astronauts. Musk replied that they were already working on bringing them home “as soon as possible.” This showed how important it is for NASA to work with private companies for space missions.
For now, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are continuing their work at the International Space Station while they wait. Despite this unexpected delay, NASA is confident that SpaceX will bring them home safely.
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