 "Sunita Williams speaks from the International Space Station. She has been there since last June. US President Donald Trump has now urged Elon Musk to bring her and Barry Wilmore back to Earth. File image/PTI")
On June 5, 2024, Nasa astronauts — Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore — took off for the International Space Station (ISS) on what was planned to be an eight-day mission. Now, seven months on, their wait in space may finally come to an end after US President Donald Trump tasked billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring the “stranded” astronauts back home.
Responding to his chief’s command, ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk said it was “terrible” that the pair were left “stranded” at the International Space Station (ISS) by former President Joe Biden’s administration for so long and that they would do so “as soon as possible”.
Nasa had previously announced last August that Musk’s SpaceX had been contracted to bring Williams and Wilmore to Earth. And while initially, it was scheduled for February 2025, it has now been arranged for March.
Trump ropes in Musk for astronauts’ return
On Tuesday (January 28), SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced plans to bring home two Nasa astronauts who arrived at the International Space Station on Boeing’s Starliner capsule “as soon as possible,” at the request of President Trump .
“I have just asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Good luck Elon!!!”
The comments come after Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were sent on a mission to the International Space Station in June 2024. At first, it was meant for only eight days. But engineers at Nasa and Boeing, who initially sent them up, uncovered issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, and decided to return the vehicle back to Earth without a crew. The two have remained at the station ever since.
While there have been concerns about Williams and Wilmore’s health — experts question the impact of extended space stay on their bodies — Nasa maintains that the two astronauts are healthy and comfortable. Moreover, Williams is involved Williams is also involved in several ongoing experiments and research projects while being on the International Space Station.
SpaceX to the rescue
Last August, Nasa announced that it had contracted Musk’s firm to return Williams and Wilmore to Earth no later than February 2025 on a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight.
However, last December, Nasa readjusted the date, saying their return won’t occur until late March or possibly April . “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavour that requires great attention to detail,” said Steve Stich, manager, Nasa’s Commercial Crew Programme. “We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station programme and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.”
This deferment occurred owing to delays by SpaceX to launch the next crew for the ISS. A new crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return so that the Space Station is properly manned and there’s no jeopardy to the science and maintenance being performed aboard the station.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to bring home Williams-Wilmore
To bring Williams and Wilmore home, SpaceX is looking at its Crew Dragon spacecraft. But what are its features?
According to Musk, the Crew Dragon was developed as part of Nasa’s plan to hand over space station flights to American companies after the space agency retired its space shuttle in 2011. Crew Dragon’s first mission to the ISS took place in 2020 when it transported four American and Japanese astronauts to the destination.
The Crew Dragon is a seven-seater and consists of two parts: a reusable space capsule and an expandable trunk module.
The capsule is “equipped with 16 Draco thrusters that manoeuvre the vehicle in orbit. Each Draco is capable of producing 90 pounds of force in the vacuum of space,” according to a report by the BBC. The report said the trunk features solar panels, heat-removal radiators, space for cargo, and fins to provide stability during emergency aborts.
Inside the Crew Dragon, there are three large touchscreen displays that allow the commander and pilot to monitor and control the spacecraft — a huge shift from analogue buttons and dials in the cockpits of previous vehicles.
Moreover, the Crew Dragon is designed to be “two-fault tolerant”. This means that even when any two things fail, such as a flight computer and a thruster, the spacecraft can still bring the crew home safely.
However, owing to the vehicle’s solar panels, which degrade in the harsh environment, the vehicle’s life is limited to a few months.
And when Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return home, the Crew Dragon will ultimately splash down in the Atlantic Ocean where recovery ships will take the astronauts to safety and retrieve the capsule.
Williams and Wilmore’s time in space
Williams and Wilmore elongated stay in space
has raised several concerns about their health. However, both of them appear to be in good health and spirits.
But what do they do while on the International Space Station? They are currently tasked with carrying out several experiments for research and collecting data. The research samples collected will be sent back on SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule to be analysed on Earth.
Nasa also shared a video of Williams trimming the red romaine lettuce leaves being grown in the Advanced Plant Habitat. Astronauts have been experimenting with growing crops in space through a fully-automated chamber onboard the ISS.
Besides that, the two have also carried out spacewalks; in fact, in response to a question, Williams on Wednesday said, “I’ve been up here long enough that I’m trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked, sat down, or laid down. You don’t need to — you can just close your eyes and float wherever you are.”
She also expressed that she’s enjoying her time in space and cherishes the opportunity to share her experiences with people on Earth.
With inputs from agencies