NASA has done it again Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams’ return to Earth postponed Astronauts stranded on the International Space Station after Boeing’s Starliner capsule malfunctions In the middle of this year.
The spacecraft’s crew arrived at the ISS in June. Its purpose was to test Starliner’s extensive capabilities, including launch, docking, and return systems. The mission was to last for a week. Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed to operate before docking with the ISS. Boeing claimed that its technology could guarantee the safe return of astronauts. However, NASA expressed skepticism and concluded that the risk was too high. The agency to which this work was entrusted spacex,
Elon Musk’s company launched the Crew-9 mission in September to, among other things, return Williams and Wilmore. The schedule of the astronauts who were stuck till now was fixed return in february Aboard the Crew Dragon rocket. However, NASA has announced that it expects the mission to return to the Earth’s surface after the arrival of Crew-10, which will be sent in late March 2025 at the earliest.
The adjustment will allow SpaceX and NASA engineers to finalize the development of a new Dragon spacecraft, which will be shipped to the company’s Florida facility early next month.
“The construction, assembly, testing and final integration of new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard work done by SpaceX.” team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and station program and expeditionary crew flexibility as we work together to complete the preparation of the new capsule for flight.
NASA said the Crew-9 and Crew-10 crews will complete a “handover period”, during which ISS residents share experience and knowledge with the new arrivals. This process ensures proper performance of onboard science experiments and maintenance of the orbital complex.
NASA and SpaceX experts evaluated several options for coordinating the next crew delivery. According to a press release from the agency, they determined that a March launch for Crew-10 was “the best option to meet NASA requirements and achieve space station objectives for 2025.”
a long run
The ISS received two resupply flights in November, ensuring that crew members had adequate food, water, clothing, and oxygen. However, some experts have warned of potential health risks for Wilmore and Williams after spending more than nine months in space.
The scientific community has been studying the effects of space flight on the human body since the 1970s. In the years after the first lunar landing, it conditions have been identified Such as loss of bone mass, weakened heart function, visual problems, and the development of kidney stones.
A recent study from University College London is revealed That can also cause permanent damage to kidney structure and function, although this is particularly egregious in cases of astronauts who get too far from Earth, which is not the case on the ISS.
NASA states that expedition crews on the ISS typically have extended stays with an average duration of six months. It said some astronauts have undertaken missions of up to one year to contribute to research on human adaptation to space flight with a view to future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
This story was originally published on Wired in Español And it has been translated from Spanish.
