2 minutes ago
- copy link
After 6 attempts, Boeing Starliner capsule launched into space on June 5.
The spacecraft carrying astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Bush Wilmore to the space station will return to Earth today. Both astronauts will remain in the space station for now. They have been stranded here for 3 months. They were sent on a mission of just 8 days on June 5, 2024, but due to a malfunction in the spacecraft, they could not return to Earth.
Now the US space agency NASA has said that the return of both may take time till February 2025. NASA will send a separate mission to pick up Sunita and her partner Bush.
How did Sunita get stuck in space, why can’t Elon Musk’s spacecraft bring her back right now, what is the danger of staying in space for 8 months, know the answers to these questions…
Question: When did Sunita Williams go into space and when was she supposed to return? Answer: On June 5, 2024, Sunita went on a space mission aboard a spacecraft named Starliner. This is a joint ‘Crew Flight Test Mission’ of American aircraft company Boeing and NASA. In this, Sunita was the pilot of the spacecraft. Bush Wilmore, who accompanied her, was the commander of this mission. Both of them had to return to Earth after staying for 8 days in the International Space Station (ISS), but due to technical problems in the spacecraft and leakage of helium gas, Sunita is stuck there.
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams with the crew after arriving at the space station on June 6.
Question: Why were Sunita and Wilmore sent to the space station? Answer: Boeing said that this launch is the beginning of NASA and Boeing’s Starliner crew flight test. At the time of the launch, Boeing Defense, Space and Security President and CEO Ted Colbert called it a great beginning of a new era of space research.
The main objective of this mission was to prove the spacecraft’s ability to carry astronauts to the space station and bring them back. The astronauts also had to do research and several experiments in 8 days at the space station. Sunita and Wilmore are the first astronauts who were sent on space travel through the Atlas-V rocket. During this mission, they had to fly the spacecraft manually. Many objectives related to the flight test also had to be completed.
Question: What problem happened with Sunita’s space craft due to which she got stuck in space? Answer: The spacecraft had continuous problems before and after the launch…
- On June 5, when an attempt was made to launch the spacecraft, its computer malfunctioned at the last moment. The first attempt failed. It was launched in the second attempt. Before this, an attempt was made to launch it on May 6 as well, but just two hours before the launch, the countdown to the launch was stopped due to a problem in a pressure valve in the upper stage of the rocket.
- On June 5, before the launch, there was a problem in a valve controlling the flow of oxidizer in the spacecraft. Oxidizer means chemicals that are necessary to burn the rocket fuel. Rockets can change their path only when the rocket fuel burns with the help of oxidizer. Even before the launch, a buzzing sound was coming from the valve.
- NASA also said that there is a small helium leak in the thruster of the spacecraft’s service module. A spacecraft has many thrusters. With their help, the spacecraft changes its path and speed. At the same time, due to the presence of helium gas, pressure is created on the rocket. Its structure remains strong, which helps the rocket in its flight.
- According to British news agency Reuters, within 25 days after launch, there were 5 helium leaks in the spacecraft capsule. 5 thrusters had stopped working. Apart from this, a propellant valve could not be closed completely. The crew present in space and the mission manager sitting in Houston, America, together are not able to fix it.
Sunita Williams and Bush Wilmore at the International Space Station. The picture is from July 9, 2024.
Question: NASA What has he done so far to bring Sunita and Willmore back? Answer: NASA and Boeing have conducted more than 100,000 computer model simulations in an attempt to bring Wilmore and Sunita Williams back to Earth. Simulation literally means imitation or pretense. In these 100,000 computer simulations, it has been seen what could be the best time and way for the spacecraft to un-dock from the space station, enter the Earth’s atmosphere and then land on the ground.
Many other types of tests have been done. For example, all 27 thrusters have been tested. It has also been tested how all the thrusters will work while undocking from the space station (i.e. when the spacecraft takes off from there), while free flying i.e. while coming towards the earth and while landing on earth. Apart from this, the hardware, software etc. of the spacecraft have been tested.
After the test, Boeing has said that 27 out of 28 Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters are completely fine and are now ready to work again. The propulsion system and the level of helium gas are also fine. NASA says that instead of rushing into anything, its focus is on the safe return of the astronauts.
Question: Can’t any spacecraft be sent right now to bring Sunita back to Earth? Answer: NASA says that the return of Sunita and Wilmore can be postponed till February 2025. In this way, Sunita may spend more than 8 months on the space station from June 5 to February 2025.
Actually, a SpaceX aircraft is going to be launched to the space station in September. It will stand on the empty parking spot left for the remaining American spacecraft after the Starliner is released into space. Only 2 astronauts will be sent to the space station instead of 4. There will be empty spaces for Sunita and Wilmore, but they will still have to stay on the space station till February.
The reason for this is that space station missions last for at least 6 months or even a year. This spacecraft will also stay there till February.
So far, there is no plan to send a separate Dragon spacecraft for Sunita and Wilmore, so overall if the Starliner does not fly, Sunita’s return to Earth by Dragon can happen only in February.
Question: What dangers can Sunita face by staying on the space station for such a long time? Answer: 8 months is a long time to stay on the space station. NASA says that Sunita and Wilmore are definitely stuck there but there is no shortage of food and water there. There are also many tasks that both astronauts can do. However, during such a long time, many times astronauts may suffer from dangerous radiation of space, effects of living in zero gravity and psychological problems.
Question: What danger can radiation pose to Sunita in the space station? Answer: The International Space Station has been built at a cost of about Rs 1 lakh 26 thousand crores. It is a well-equipped laboratory, which has living space, bedroom and even a gym for exercise. Yet all these things are in an artificial environment outside the Earth, where living is always full of difficulties.
The space station is revolving in an orbit about 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. On Earth, the Earth’s magnetic field and the ozone layer protect us from the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation, but while revolving in orbit, the space station also passes through such points where the Sun’s radiation is up to 30 times more than that of the Earth. The space station faces as much radiation in a week as we face on Earth in a year.
To understand how dangerous it is, the unit of measuring radiation is milli-sievert (mSv). 1 milli-sievert is approximately the same amount of radiation as is released after getting 3 chest X-rays done. Whereas astronauts face radiation ranging from 50 to 20,000 milli-sieverts in space. This is equal to the radiation of about 150 to 6 thousand chest X-rays. This much radiation can cause a big risk of cancer, the body’s tissues and nervous system can get damaged.
Sunita and Wilmore present in the spacecraft (Photo Source – Boeing Space)
Question: What problems can arise from living in zero gravity? Answer: The second biggest danger in space is zero gravity. Why do we get tired when we walk on the ground? Because our bones and muscles have to work against the gravity of the earth. Due to this work, our body gets continuous exercise. In zero or very low gravity, there is no pressure on our body. This causes damage to bones and muscles.
According to experts, bone tissue can get damaged up to 1.5% every month. Especially the bones of the spine, hip and thigh can be affected. Due to no physical exertion, heart activity can also weaken. Most of our body is made up of liquid. You must have read in science books in childhood that the body is made up of 70% water. The balance of this liquid can be disturbed due to lack of gravity. This causes swelling on the body of astronauts. Taste and smell, even their speech is affected.
Question: Could Sunita and her partner also have psychological problems? Answer: Yes, Sunita and her partner Wilmore may also have psychological problems. Actually, both of them left home and went to space for just 8 days. After going there, they have to unexpectedly stay for 8 months or more. The spacecraft they came in also has problems like helium leak. It is not yet known which spacecraft they will return in, so it is natural for the mental state to be affected.
Question: Has the time of astronauts staying in space ever been suddenly increased before? Answer: Yes, this is not the first time. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and his two Russian colleagues had to spend more than a year in space because their Soyuz spacecraft collided with debris in space. Due to this, the spacecraft’s coolant leaked, and in September last year, another Russian spacecraft was sent to bring them back.
Apart from Sunita, there are currently four more American astronauts and three Russian astronauts on the space station. A spacecraft had carried food and clothes for all of them this week. More supplies will be delivered in the next few months.
When Sunita and Wilmore went, they did not take their suitcase of clothes with them to make space for the instruments. They made do with the clothes of the astronauts present there. However, till now Sunita has spoken to the media only once in the last month, she said that she is busy in repairing the spacecraft and doing research. There has been no public statement from her regarding the extended time.
Read this news also…
Sunita Williams will return from space after 250 days: Bones and eyes will become weak, changes in DNA are possible; risk of cancer in future
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is still in space even after more than two months. Now she will return in February 2025. During this time she would have spent about 250 days in space. Due to staying in space for a long time, many changes will be seen in her body, eyes and DNA. Read full news…
Source link
[ad_3]
