Christmas in area? NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore certainly did not assume they’d nonetheless be on the Worldwide House Station for Christmas after they left Earth in June. In reality, they initially planning to remain for simply eight days. And now, what had been deliberate as a February return has been moved to late March.
However the two stranded astronauts, plus fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit, not too long ago despatched Christmas greetings right down to Earth with social-media images and video exhibiting the area vacationers sporting vacation headgear.
One Instagram picture exhibits Pettit and Williams sporting Santa hats. And in a video, Williams, Wilmore, Pettit and Hague are seen posing with a snowman determine and a small adorned tree, whereas the three males put on Santa hats and Williams wears reindeer antlers.
Every one takes turns talking about their vacation in orbit, letting sweet canes float round them, exhibiting off the canned meals they will be having fun with, and likewise utilizing the weightlessness of microgravity to drift the microphone to the following speaker.
“It is a good time of 12 months up right here,” says Williams. “We get to spend it with all of our ‘household’ up on the Worldwide House Station, there’s seven of us up right here, and so we’ll get to get pleasure from firm collectively.”
Christmas conspiracy concept?
Quite a few individuals who watched the video or noticed the photographs puzzled about why the ISS had Christmas decorations.
“8 day mission that is was months lengthy they usually’ve by some means acquired Christmas hats?” requested one commenter.
Different commenters identified that the ISS did not merely spring into existence in June, when Williams and Wilmore arrived. In reality, Williams spent Christmas 2006 in area as nicely.
NASA confirmed to the New York Publish that the Santa hats, plus Christmas decorations, meals and presents for the crew, had been delivered in late November through the SpaceX spacecraft. ISS provides are frequently replenished through such deliveries.
February return is now March
Just lately, NASA pushed again Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth from February to late March.
“NASA and SpaceX assessed numerous choices for managing the following crewed handover, together with utilizing one other Dragon spacecraft and manifest changes,” based on a NASA press launch issued on Dec. 17. “After cautious consideration, the group decided that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the brand new Dragon spacecraft, was the best choice for assembly NASA’s necessities and reaching area station aims for 2025.
The delay is so NASA and SpaceX groups can full work on the mission’s new Dragon spacecraft. That new craft will launch 4 crew members to the ISS — commander Anne McClain, commander, pilot Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. As soon as the brand new crew is settled, Williams, Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will return to Earth.
However Williams and Wilmore aren’t complaining about their prolonged keep.
“I like all the things about being up right here,” Williams mentioned in early December. “Dwelling in area is tremendous enjoyable.”
The astronauts are conserving busy, with Williams and Wilmore helping the opposite ISS residents in area botany research and different analysis, based on NASA’s ISS weblog. They’ve aided in additional than 60 scientific research of their practically six months on board, the Washington Publish stories.
This is what you must find out about what the 2 astronauts are as much as.
Who’re the astronauts?
Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are veteran astronauts and are each naval officers and former check pilots. Williams has been a NASA astronaut since 1998, and Wilmore since 2000. Each have loads of expertise in area.
Williams is the previous file holder for many spacewalks by a girl (seven) and most spacewalk time for a lady (50 hours, 40 minutes), and in 2007, she ran the primary marathon by any particular person in area.
In 2009, Wilmore piloted the House Shuttle Atlantis on its mission to the ISS, and in 2014, he was a part of the ISS crew that used a 3D printer to fabricate a software — a ratchet wrench — in area, the primary time people manufactured one thing off-world.
What was their authentic mission in area?
Wilmore, as commander, and Williams, as pilot, traveled to the ISS on a 15-foot-wide, Boeing-made capsule referred to as Starliner. They launched on June 5 and docked with the ISS on June 6. NASA hopes Starliner will give the group a brand new technique to get crews to and from the ISS, and the truth that it is Boeing-made is one other signal that NASA is beginning to lean on the personal sector for its human spaceflight choices, The New York Instances reported.
Wilmore and Williams’ ISS mission was purported to final a mere eight days, throughout which they’d check out elements of Starliner and see the way it operates with a human crew in area. However because of issues with Starliner, the 2 astronauts are nonetheless up there.
What are the astronauts consuming?
Meals on the ISS is a significant focus, as contemporary produce should be replenished each three months with deliveries from Earth. On Nov. 23, the unpiloted Progress 90 resupply spacecraft efficiently docked to the ISS. However the newest meals supply got here with an undesirable odor.
“After opening the Progress spacecraft’s hatch, the Roscosmos cosmonauts observed an surprising odor and noticed small droplets, prompting the crew to shut the Poisk hatch to the remainder of the Russian section,” a NASA consultant mentioned in an announcement posted to social media.
“House station air scrubbers and contaminant sensors monitored the station’s environment following the statement, and on Sunday, flight controllers decided air high quality contained in the area station was at regular ranges,” NASA mentioned. “There aren’t any issues for the crew, and as of Sunday afternoon, the crew is working to open the hatch between Poisk and Progress whereas all different area station operations are continuing as deliberate.”
NASA revealed that their menu contains cereal with powdered milk, pizza, shrimp cocktails, roast hen and tuna.
The odor that got here together with the spacecraft is not the one food-related concern of late, with some publications questioning the astronauts’ skinny look based mostly on latest images.
Dr. J.D. Polk, NASA chief well being and medical officer, made an official assertion saying Williams and Wilmore are simply tremendous. “NASA and our companions have safely carried out lengthy period missions aboard the orbital laboratory for many years, finding out the results of area on the human physique as we put together for exploration farther into the photo voltaic system,” Polk mentioned. “Crew well being is frequently monitored by devoted flight surgeons on Earth, they usually have a person food regimen and health regime to make sure they continue to be wholesome all through their expeditions.”
Williams mentioned she weighs the identical as she did when she reached the area station, in a video interview carried out Nov. 12 on the ISS.
What are the astronauts saying?
The astronauts have been optimistic about their expertise. At a dwell information convention in September, Williams mentioned that regardless of figuring out their mission was scheduled to take solely eight days, they’d each been “coaching for quite a few years” for it. They’re totally certified to stay in area for an prolonged time period, and to assist pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that’ll convey them residence subsequent 12 months.
“It’s totally peaceable up right here,” Williams mentioned on Sept. 13, although she added that they miss their households again on Earth.
The astronauts are engaged on analysis, upkeep and knowledge evaluation throughout their prolonged keep.
“We’re having a good time right here on ISS,” Williams mentioned in a information convention held from orbit in July. “I am not complaining. Butch is not complaining that we’re up right here for a few additional weeks.”
Wilmore and Williams responding to media questions again in March.
How did they get caught in area within the first place?
The Starliner was delayed in Could because of an issue with a valve within the rocket. Then engineers needed to repair a helium leak. That is all unhealthy information for Boeing. It is competing with SpaceX, which has been transporting astronauts to the ISS since 2020, making over 20 profitable journeys to the area station.
Starliner lastly launched, atop an Atlas V rocket, on June 5, however some issues got here together with it. NASA introduced that three helium leaks had been recognized, one among which was recognized earlier than flight, and two new ones. Along with the leaks, the crew needed to troubleshoot failed management thrusters, although the craft was capable of efficiently dock with the ISS.
SpaceX has had failures too. A Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launchpad in 2016. In July of this 12 months, a Falcon 9 rocket skilled a liquid oxygen leak and deployed its satellites within the fallacious orbit, The New York Instances reported. And a Falcon 9 rocket in late August misplaced a first-stage booster when it toppled over into the Atlantic Ocean and caught fireplace.
However that mentioned, SpaceX has greater than 300 profitable Falcon 9 flights to its credit score.
Caught in area: A timeline
- Could: Starliner launch delayed because of an issue with a valve within the rocket, after which a helium leak.
- June 5: Starliner launches with Williams and Wilmore on board.
- June 6: Starliner docks with ISS regardless of coping with three helium leaks and failed management thrusters.
- Sept. 6: Starliner departs ISS and lands in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore behind.
- Sept. 28: SpaceX Crew-9 mission launches with Hague and Gorbunov on a Dragon spacecraft.
- Sept. 29: SpaceX Dragon docks with ISS.
- Dec. 17: NASA broadcasts the launch of 4 crew members to the ISS will probably be delayed from February to late March.
- March 2025 onward: SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will return to Earth with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov.
