Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore’s Return May Delay ISRO Astronaut’s Maiden Space Flight- wna24
New Delhi: NASA and SpaceX are addressing a scheduling conflict to return stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore from the International Space Station, which could potentially delay the maiden flight of Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla to space aboard the Axiom-04 mission.
Days after Sunita Williams’s extended mission became embroiled in a political controversy, SpaceX is now working on a new plan to return her, as its new Dragon vehicle faces technical challenges.
SpaceX had originally planned to return both Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore on the Crew-10 mission, which was meant to be the maiden flight of the newly designed Dragon spacecraft. However, the company is currently dealing with issues related to the spacecraft’s batteries.
The technical difficulties with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft have led to a delay in the return of Sunita Williams, pushing her return from February to March. NASA now suspects the Dragon will not be ready for space travel until April, prompting the need for alternative plans.
In response, officials are considering using the Dragon spacecraft originally assigned to Axiom Space for its mission to carry four private astronauts, including India’s Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla, to the Space Station. This change would delay the scheduled Axiom-4 launch in the spring.
The Dragon spacecraft, which previously flew the Crew-7 mission, was originally intended for the Crew-10 mission. It is now expected to be used for returning Crew-9 astronauts, including Williams and Willmore, to Earth.
Reports suggest that if all goes as planned, the two stranded astronauts could return as early as March 19.
When they first arrived at the space station last June, Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore were expected to stay for just a week. However, Boeing’s Starliner capsule faced multiple issues, leading NASA to send it back empty.
This left Williams and Willmore, both retired Navy captains and test pilots, stranded in orbit until SpaceX could arrange their return.
Despite the extended stay, both astronauts remain in good health. Recently, they conducted their maiden spacewalk together, spending over five hours outside the Space Station, setting new records.