Astronauts Waiting in Space: The Story of Wilmore and Williams
61 years old Wilmoreand 58 years old Williams, reached the International Space Station (ISS) with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, technical problems such as leaks in the propulsion system and the shutdown of some thrusters during the spacecraft’s approach to the station delayed the planned program.
Initially, they were expected to return within a few days, but the process took almost two months, and the astronauts are still in space. This means that they will spend the summer as well as the New Year in space. NASA officials are hesitant to make a definitive decision on the astronauts’ return. One option is to include the two astronauts on a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission that will launch in September, returning to Earth in February 2025. In this case, the astronauts will remain on the ISS for much longer than planned, approximately eight months.
At a press conference last month, astronauts said they were “absolutely confident” about the return trip and that Starliner provided a “truly impressive” experience. WilliamsIt is the third mission to the ISS. Wilmoreis an experienced fighter jet pilot who has been to space twice before. “It’s really cool to be here, floating in space and working with the ISS crew,” Williams said.
While the duo will be in space for much longer than they planned, the fact remains that other astronauts have spent much longer periods in the past. For example, Russian astronaut Valery Polyakovstayed at the Mir space station for 437 days. Last year, Frank Rubioreturned from the ISS after 371 days, the longest time an American has spent in space. “I’m not complaining that we got a few extra weeks here,” Williams said, keeping a positive tone about their time in space.
As it stands, Wilmore and Williams have the potential to remain on the ISS for many more weeks, and the knowledge they gain from space exploration and experimentation will be invaluable for future missions.
