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Sunita Williams ‘stuck’ in space: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somnath in a recent discussion has said that Sunita Williams is in a situation “where the duration has been extended”. The ISRO chief told a media house that being ‘stuck in space’ was a “situation that needed to be decoded to find out if it was safe (for Sunita Williams) to return”.
In a recent discussion Hindustan TimesIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somnath highlighted the problems faced by Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been in space for the last six months.
Somnath highlighted concerns about Williams and his colleague Commander Barry Wilmore, who are part of Boeing’s first space mission. The spacecraft, designed for human space travel, faced several difficulties ahead of its mission to the International Space Station.
“Before the mission, there were several problems in preparing this spacecraft for the mission,” Somnath said. Hindustan Times“After the docking was successfully completed, evaluation of the spacecraft condition revealed anomalies,” Somnath said.
The ISRO chief listed anomalies such as helium gas leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. He said that these anomalies forced Boeing to re-evaluate the safety of the spacecraft for the return of the mission.
Somnath informed that Boeing is conducting extensive simulation tests to resolve these issues and ensure the reliability of the spacecraft. Somnath stressed that the return phase of the mission is critical and depends on the functioning of the spacecraft, including its control systems and thermal protection.
Somnath acknowledged that the reports of the simulation tests are positive, but the final assessment will be done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This cautious approach is considered necessary as this is the first flight of the spacecraft.
On Aug. 15, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said, “We’re getting to a point where we should really have a decision made by the last week of August, if not before.”
“Everybody would like a date, but we do have some working dates, but I know we need to keep that flexibility… Right now, Butch and Sunny are well and truly busy on the ISS… I know they’re making the best use of their time, but I’m sure they’re as anxious as the rest of us are to have a decision, and when we do make that decision, we’ll certainly meet with all of you and share that information,” Bowersox said.
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