04 Why Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore stranded in Internation Space Station?

[Music] today breaking news is astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are stranded in International Space Station and might not be able to return to Earth until 2025 but why are they stranded what is internation Space Station what is Boing Starliner and what are the problems astronauta and will be facing let's dive to understand all these answers first what is [Music] ISS the International Space Station NS is a large spacecraft in low earth orbit serving as a habitable artificial satellite it is a joint project involving multiple space agencies including NASA United States Ros Cosmos Russia Jaa Japan Esa European space agency and CSA Canada the ISS was developed and assembled over several years starting in the late 1990s the first module Zaria was launched by Russia in 1998 this was followed by the US module unity and over the next several years additional modules were added from various International part Partners the ISS represents a combination of Russian and American space station projects including meere 2 freedom and others the ISS functions as a research laboratory where scientific research is conducted in astrobiology astronomy meteorology physics and other [Music] fields the ISS was primarily created for the following reasons scientific research to conduct experiments that require or benefit from microgravity and the unique environment of space International collaboration to Foster cooperation among nations in the field of space exploration technological development to test new space technologies that will be used in future space missions including potential missions to Mars educational Outreach to inspire and educate the public and students around the world about science technology engineering and Mathematics the ISS is controlled and monitored by mission control centers located in different parts of the world NASA's Johnson Space Center Houston USA primary control center for us operations Ros Cosmo's Mission Control Center corov Russia manages Russian modules and systems European space Operation Center dad Germany manages European experiments and contributions ions Japanese Space Center Toba Japan manages Japanese modules and [Music] research Boeing began development of the Starliner spacecraft in 2011 under NASA's commercial crew program primary objectives was to transport astronauts to un from the International Space Station ISS providing NASA with a second crew Transportation capability total cost the exact total cost of the project is difficult to determine as it involves both NASA funding and Boeing's own Investments however it has faced significant cost overruns due to delays and technical issues estimated cost as on date is $6.7 billion including cost of delays the most recent mission was the crew flight Test ofs 2 which launched on June 5th 2024 this took astronaut Sun Williams and Butch Wilmore to ISS the goal was to successfully dock with the ISS conduct a series of tests and return to Earth with astronauts present status of mission the crew flight test faced several challenges including thrusted issues and a delayed Landing while the capsule successfully docked with the is the mission was ultimately deemed a partial success NASA has postponed the next crude flight until the issues are resolved Sumit Williams is currently aboard the International Space Station ISS as part of NASA's Boeing crew flight test mission Sunita Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore arrived at the ISS on June 6th 20124 their mission was initially planned as a brief test but due to technical issues with their spacecraft the Boeing star liner their stay has been extended significantly originally they were supposed to return after a short period but problems with the star liner including issues with its thrusters have made it unsafe for a crude return NASA has decided to bring the Starliner back to Earth without the crew and instead Williams and Wilmore will return on a SpaceX crew Dragon capsule in February 2025 Starliner returned to Earth without crew and astronauts to return on SpaceX crew dragon in February 2025 key problems with the Starliner one Thruster malfunctions o reaction control thrusters the Starliner experienced problems with its reaction control thrusters which are crucial for maintaining the spacecraft orientation and maneuvering during its approach and docking with the ISS these thrusters ensure that the spacecraft can safely Orient itself for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere two helium leaks oh during the mission leaks were detected in the spacecraft's helium system helium is used to pressurize the fuel tanks and any leak can significantly affect the performance and safety of the spacecraft particularly during critical phases like re-entry three safety concerns oh given these technical issues NASA deemed it too risky to attempt a crude return with the Starliner in its current state the decision was made to conduct an uncrewed return to allow for a thorough analysis and to avoid jeopardizing the safety of the astronauts one isolation and confinement oh the extended Mission duration means more time spent in the confined environment of the ISS which can contribute to feelings of isolation loneliness and cabin fever these psychological stresses can affect mood sleep patterns and overall mental health two stress from uncertainty oh the uncertainty about the duration of her stay and concerns about the safe return to Earth could contribute to increase Stress and Anxiety the psychological impact of knowing that the mission was extended due to technical issues can be significant three separation from family and loved ones how extended time away from family and loved ones can exacerbate feelings of homesickness and emotional strain maintaining communication with loved ones helps but it doesn't fully mitigate the psychological impact of long-term separation physical challenges one muscle atrophy and bone density loss o prolonged exposure to microgravity can lead to muscle atrophy and a decrease in bone density even with daily exercise routines designed to counteract these effects the longer duration of her stay increases the risk of these conditions two radiation exposure oh the ISS is exposed to higher levels of cosmic radiation compared to Earth an Extended Stay increases the cumulative radiation dose which can Elevate the risk of cancer and other radiation related health issues in the long term three div vision and eye problems oh some astronauts experience vision problems due to fluid shifts in the body caused by microgravity this condition known as spaceflight Associated neuro ocular syndrome Sans can lead to changes in Vision that may not fully reverse after returning to Earth immune system suppression o Extended space missions can weaken the immune system making astronauts more susceptible to infections and illnesses the longer duration of the mission increases the likelihood of encountering health issues related to immune suppression astronauts could be stuck in space for a few more months NASA's revelation have sent chills across the world there is one ongoing situation regarding the safe return of Sunita and Wilmore to Earth firstly if NASA decides to bring its starina back without the crew members both Sunita and Wilmore will be stuck on ISS up to late February 2025 in this case NASA would make changes in its SpaceX crew 9 Mission and would opt to send two instead of four crew members in late September 2024 tunita and Butch would then Mark their return turn earlier in 2025 once the crew 9 mission is concluded the brief test mission started with higher expectations and enthusiasm but was subjected to a lot of technical glitches upon arriving at ISS the malfunction in starina has resulted in serious doubt regarding its safe return to Earth the technical issues have Sunita and Butch in an unwanted and prolonged situation originally intended for one week the mission has far exceeded its plan a [Music]