NASA’s Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore could be stuck in Space till 2025

Sub: Science and Tech

Sec: Space

Context:

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may be cooped up in ISS till February 2025 due to glitches in the Boeing spacecraft that took them to space.

What are the issues with Boeing Starliner?

A helium leak was detected in the propulsion system before launch, but was not considered serious enough to abandon the journey. It developed two more similar leaks on its way
The issue has not been resolved so far.
This spacecraft has made two trips to the ISS earlier but this was the first time it was carrying astronauts.

What happens now?

If Starliner aircraft’s issues aren’t fixed soon, they may have to wait until February 2025 to return.
A SpaceX mission scheduled for September 2024 could bring them back, but this would mean reducing the returning crew from four to two astronauts.

Can the ISS accommodate them?

ISS usually hosts seven astronauts. It is large enough to accommodate more astronauts, if required.
The facility is bigger than a typical six-bedroom apartment in the US, according to NASA.
It has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, and even a gym. When visiting spacecraft attach themselves, additional space is created.
Cargo spaceships routinely make trips to the ISS, carrying essential supplies and attending to maintenance requirements.
The cargo spacecraft, however, cannot be used to bring back Williams and Wilmore as they are not equipped with the special capsules that can house humans in space.

Have astronauts stayed in space for a long duration?

Spending nine to 10 months in space is quite a long time but not unusual. Several astronauts have remained in space far longer than that.
The current record is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 438 days at the Mir space station between January 1994 and March 1995.
Williams and Wilmore are likely to spend more than 250 days by the time they return.

What happens to the human body in space?

According to reports, due to the longer exposure to microgravity on the ISS, astronauts might experience several health-related issues such as :
- bone density reduction
- muscle quality deterioration
- vision-related issues
- a higher risk of cancer due to DNA damage
- Low gravity impacts brain fluids and extended stays can potentially alter brain structure.
- Extended stays can also increase the risk of heart disease.
This is why space exploration missions are kept short, not lasting more than a few weeks.

International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS is a manmade space station or artificial satellite that is habitable for humans in space.
It orbiting Earth at a distance of about 400 km (low earth orbit), is continuously manned and has never been without an astronaut since November 2000.
The astronauts onboard the space station conduct various experiments.
The ISS was developed and built by five space agencies namely, NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), European Space Agency (ESA-Europe), JAXA (Japan) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA-Canada).