It was intended to be a standard week-long mission when NASA launched Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, what began as an innovative test flight swiftly devolved into an eight-month odyssey in which the astronauts found themselves abruptly stranded in space. Imagine being in space for over eight months when your initial mission was only supposed to last a week.

On June 5, 2024, veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams took off in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Originally, the mission was supposed to be a test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) lasting one week. Wilmore and Williams were assigned as test pilots to supervise the last crucial stage of the Starliner's voyage, which was crucial for Boeing as it aimed to prove the spacecraft's dependability following years of delays and failures.

Shortly after launch, the mission took an unexpected turn. The mission was plagued by a number of technical issues, such as frustrating thruster problems and helium leaks. The astronauts were placed in a holding pattern on board the ISS while engineers on Earth performed experiments to identify and fix the flaws that prevented the Starliner from successfully accomplishing its goals.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

1. On June 5, 2024, Boeing's Starliner capsule carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore took off from Cape Canaveral on a week-long test flight to the ISS.
2. Initial mission success: The astronauts started supervising the scheduled Starliner system tests after the spacecraft docked successfully at the ISS.
3. Initial indication of trouble: The Starliner capsule's engines started to fail shortly after docking, with five of them failing in midair.
4. Problems were made worse when engineers found helium leaks in the capsule's propellant system, which made the mission even more difficult and raised questions about the spacecraft's general stability.
5. NASA's response: NASA postponed the astronauts' return because the thruster and helium leak problems were not resolved despite continuous testing and efforts to fix them.

NASA decided on August 24, 2024, that using the Starliner for the return voyage was too dangerous. Until early 2025, when a safer return option aboard a SpaceX capsule may be provided, the astronauts would have to stay at the ISS.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which touched down in Mexico last week, will be retrieved by NASA. The spacecraft successfully returned to Earth despite encountering technical difficulties during its journey, making it a useful tool for more research. During a recent virtual press conference, they spoke to the Earth, where Williams said that this is her happy place. Despite this extended journey, the astronauts, who were both retired Navy captains with a wealth of space-flight expertise, maintained their composure. They continued to contribute to ongoing work aboard the ISS in spite of the difficulties, adjusting to the longer mission with the professionalism and tenacity required of astronauts.

NASA’s STRATEGY

1. NASA determined that Starliner was too dangerous for a human return flight because of the technological problems.
2. Turning to SpaceX: Due to SpaceX's demonstrated safety record, NASA decided to use their Crew Dragon spacecraft.
3. NASA intended to change the crew size for SpaceX's upcoming trip in September 2024 in order to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth in February 2025, as the SpaceX capsule that had previously docked at the ISS was designated for another crew.

Although Boeing suffered a setback when it decided to send the astronauts home on a separate spaceship, NASA has not abandoned the Starliner program. NASA's nearly $4 billion contract with Boeing was a component of the agency's larger plan to have two rival American businesses that could transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA is still optimistic that Boeing can fix Starliner's problems and launch another crewed flight soon, despite the continued difficulties.

Concerns regarding the health of Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stranded on the ISS for more than five months, have been raised by her apparent weight loss. Ms. Williams appeared skinny in a recent picture, with sunken cheeks and a smaller frame. NASA maintains that the weight loss is a product of the microgravity conditions on board the ISS and is not the result of any dietary inadequacies.

Ms. Williams and Butch Wilmore, her fellow astronaut, have been making due on the space station's meager but adequate supply of food. A professional with knowledge of the Starliner mission claims that their meals include of freeze-dried items including pizza, tuna, shrimp cocktails, roast chicken, dehydrated stews, and breakfast cereals with powdered milk. The absence of fresh vegetables, which is only provided by the ISS once every three months, is a significant drawback to their diet.

The New York Post cited the expert as adding, "At first, there is fresh fruit, but as the three months go by, that goes away - and their fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried."

Each astronaut is given 3.8 pounds (about 1.7 kg) of food each day, plus additional supplies in case the mission is extended. Doctors closely monitor the astronauts' daily food intake. The ISS's recycling system, which even turns astronauts' sweat and urine into fresh water for cooking and hydration, guarantees that no food is wasted even in the absence of fresh vegetables.

However, there are still health worries regarding the astronauts' welfare, especially as the stress of space travel starts to show. Ms. Williams, 59, has downplayed the worries, claiming that the zero-gravity atmosphere caused her body to move fluids, which is why she lost weight. "There are some rumors out there that I'm losing weight and stuff," she stated in a video interview. Actually, I'm correct about the same amount.

The event highlights the dangers and complexity of space travel, where unanticipated technical difficulties have the potential to ruin even the most carefully thought-out missions. The episode serves as a reminder of the astronauts' tenacity and the constant need for creativity and problem-solving in the pursuit of space exploration, while Wilmore and Williams wait for their return.

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