NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, after issues with the Beoing Starliner made it unsafe for them to return to Earth, and they were trapped there after what was supposed to be an eight-day mission.
In response to these challenges, NASA has had to develop a plan to bring them back home, which involved getting the help of SpaceX. At first, it looked like they would come home in February, but more delays pushed the date to the end of March. Now, it seems like they will get to return home a little earlier, thanks to a decision to reuse a previously flown Dragon spacecraft instead of preparing a new one.
The decision to reuse the spacecraft allowed NASA to push up the return date to March 12 as long as everything else is place at that time. They decided to go with an older spacecraft due to the additional preparation time required for the new capsule, which might have pushed the return time beyond March.
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The extended mission has posed significant challenges for the astronauts, who have now spent over eight months in space. Extended durations in microgravity environments can lead to various health issues, including muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and potential impacts on vision. To combat the health issues, astronauts need to exercise regularly.
The stranding of the astronauts has shown how dangerous space exploration can be, even with the help of modern technology, and the decision to use an older spacecraft shows that NASA and the rest of the industry need to stay flexible and be ready to deal with the unpredictable nature of space.
Regarding their extended mission, both have maintained that they are happy to be there and are getting lots of work done. Both astronauts are highly experienced. Wilmore, a retired U.S. Navy captain and test pilot, has accumulated 178 days in space over two previous missions. Williams, also a retired U.S. Navy officer, has spent 322 days in space and holds records for the most spacewalks by a woman.
The ISS can support long-duration missions, and its systems can accommodate extended crew stays. While their prolonged presence requires adjustments in scheduling and resource allocation, the station's operations continue as planned. A new crew will arrive a few days before Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return home, so they go through a hand-over period where they bring the new crew up to date on the work that is taking place.
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