8 Days To 8 Months: Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore’s Extended Stay In Space

The Boeing Starliner lifted off the International Space Station in June with NASA’s veteran astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, the mission was intended to last for eight days but a technical failure delayed the astronauts’ return, extending the mission by eight more months.

The Boeing Starliner capsule faced propulsion issues including a Helium leak which resulted in aborting the return. The spacecraft’s service module reported several tiny helium leaks making it unsafe for travel. Helium is essential to preserving the spacecraft’s structural integrity and manoeuvrability. Along with Helium leaks, the spacecraft detected problems in its thrusters and valves.

The mission aimed to demonstrate the Boeing Starliner’s capability to take humans to the ISS. Boeing needed to tap into the space Elon Musk’s SpaceX has entered to provide crew transportation services to NASA.

Transporting Ms Williams and Mr Bilmore was Starliner’s first crewed flight.

SpaceX To The Rescue

The NASA-SpaceX spacecraft, carrying Crew-9 members NASA astronaut Nick Hague (commander) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov (mission specialist), docked at the International Space Station (ISS) last month to bring back Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore.

The Crew-9 members will have two empty seats for NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will fill when the spacecraft returns next year.

The astronauts will now return home in February next year.

Interestingly, the Starliner returned to Earth after weeks of extensive testing but without the crew. The return of Starliner delayed the launch of Crew-9 from mid-August to September since NASA wanted more time to evaluate the reliability of the Starliner.

Hague and Gorbunov will stay in space for five months before coming back home.

Surviving In Space

The extended stay of Williams and Bilmore raised concerns about their survival, particularly regarding food and oxygen supply.

NASA assured that there is no immediate danger to the astronauts and the ISS has sufficient provisions to support the crew for the additional time.

“The space station is well-stocked with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing and oxygen,” NASA stated. The agency stressed that regular resupply missions will ensure the astronauts’ needs are met, citing regular arrivals of cargo spacecraft carrying food, fuel and supplies.

The space station revealed that two spacecraft – one carrying “8,200 pounds of food, fuel, supplies” and another carrying “three tons of cargo” – arrived at the ISS recently.

Living in space for an extended period requires unique arrangements. On the ISS, astronauts can sleep anywhere – floor, ceiling or walls – thanks to zero gravity. They use sleeping stations, similar to phone booths, with sleeping bags and pillows attached to the floor, wall, or ceiling. Astronauts can also make video calls, audio calls or send emails through NASA.

Aboard the ISS, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also have access to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie garden) which allows them to grow fresh produce and even flowers in space. During their extended stay, the duo has been experimenting with various techniques to improve crop growth in space.