NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams
NASA has assured the public that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are safe aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and that their return to Earth is being carefully planned. Despite rumours suggesting that the astronauts are stranded due to technical issues, both NASA and Boeing officials have refuted these claims.
The concerns arose from suspected helium leaks in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which had transported the astronauts to the ISS earlier this month. During a press conference, Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, stated, "I want to make it real clear that we’re not in any rush to come home." He further emphasized the safety of the ISS, describing it as "a nice, safe place to stop and take our time to work through the vehicle and make sure we’re ready to come home."
NASA and Boeing are thoroughly evaluating Starliner’s propulsion system performance before initiating the return trip to Earth. A recent water leak detected in a service and cooling umbilical unit also contributed to the mission's extended timeline. This incident prematurely ended a spacewalk on June 24, leading NASA to adjust its schedule and target the end of July for the next spacewalk. This postponement provides ground teams with sufficient time to address the leak and ensure astronaut safety.
Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, the astronauts' stay on the ISS has been significantly extended. However, NASA has assured that the spacecraft has sufficient resources to support the astronauts during this extended period. The spacecraft requires seven hours for a normal end-of-mission and currently has enough helium left in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity following undocking.
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