Sunita Williams will not be able to return to Earth right now, NASA postponed the return mission
The pair of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for more than nine months, may have to wait a little longer to return home, as NASA has once again postponed the return mission. NASA had earlier announced that Sunita Williams and her partner would be brought back to Earth on March 13.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been on the ISS for a long time
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally preparing to return to Earth after a long stay in space. Their mission was supposed to last just ten days, but due to technical problems in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission was extended to almost ten months.
Mission stopped due to technical problem
NASA said that there were only a few hours left for the mission to start, when the launch was canceled due to a technical problem. NASA launch commentator Darol Nell said that there was a problem with the hydraulic system on the ground side. He said that everything was fine with the rocket and the spacecraft.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 mission was scheduled to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday at 7:48 pm (2348 GMT). Now the Crew-9 spacecraft docked at the ISS can return to Earth only after the arrival of the spacecraft carrying Crew-10.
Earth’s gravity can become a challenge
When Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore come to Earth, they will have to face a lot of difficulties in walking. Spending about ten months in microgravity has had a very bad effect on their bodies. Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao said that astronauts feel like children’s feet on returning, because the calluses on the feet disappear in space.
Former astronaut tells the story
Another former astronaut Terry Virts described it as dizziness. It takes weeks for the body to adjust to Earth’s gravity. The delay in bringing Williams and Wilmore back home also gave rise to political debate.
Former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticised the Biden administration, arguing that NASA did not act quickly enough to resolve the situation. However, NASA said safety was the top priority.
