Sunita Williams' return from space delayed; latest update here

India Today

SpaceX delayed the expected launch of a replacement crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station which further delayed the homecoming of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for nine months.

Transcript

00:00NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space for almost

00:06nine months now.

00:07It was supposed to be a mission of nine days.

00:11SpaceX postponed the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Florida due to a hydraulic system

00:15issue with the ground support.

00:17That means the Crew 10 mission to bring back the Crew 9 mission astronauts is going to

00:21be delayed.

00:22But hope is not lost.

00:23NASA is aiming for the launch no earlier than 5 a.m., we are told, tomorrow morning.

00:30So there is still hope.

00:31They are still looking at it.

00:32Otherwise, it's going to be Monday.

00:34Basically, they have to leave the International Space Station to return to Earth.

00:38And there are many challenges, technical, gravity-related, health-related and more.

00:44So these are the details that are coming in right now.

00:46Visuals on your screen.

00:47Now, remember, she's been looking resilient.

00:49Sunita Williams, Indian-origin astronaut, and Butch Wilmore have been putting out videos

00:53to say they are celebrating festivals, they are in good health.

00:57But in zero gravity, nine months is a challenge.

01:01Let's go across now to try and understand what exactly happened.

01:05Joining me, Sibu Tripathi, he's India Today's senior assistant editor of science and has

01:09been tracking this issue since the day the mission was launched.

01:12Sibu, good morning.

01:13Now, it was always supposed to be an experiment mission.

01:17The astronauts realized the challenges.

01:19But tell me now, one, how and why has the delay happened at this time?

01:24Good morning, Pooja.

01:26First of all, the launch was supposed to happen this morning around 5.18 a.m.

01:32This was a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that was taking crew time.

01:35So four astronauts to replace the four astronauts currently in space.

01:39The problem happened with one of the hydraulic systems on the retractable arm of the Dragon

01:44spacecraft.

01:45Therefore, the launch was cancelled at the last moment.

01:50And a new date was issued.

01:51Initially, the plan was that it will be launched tomorrow morning.

01:54But what we are getting the latest update is due to high winds in the launch area, this

01:58launch has been further delayed.

02:00So now the launch is expected to happen on Saturday morning around 5.30 a.m.

02:07So this has been the latest update around it.

02:09The launch happens, this will take about 12, 12 and a half hours to basically land with

02:14the space station and then the docking will happen.

02:16So it's a long process.

02:17It has been further delayed.

02:18What this means is, Sohita Williams' return will again be delayed.

02:22And this will now happen in a week's time, so sometime around next week, Thursday or

02:25Friday is when we are expecting her to come back.

02:27So it's going to be perhaps a daily assessment that will be done of the spacecraft.

02:32Sehboor, for those wondering, how are nine months in space in zero gravity?

02:38Of course, these are experienced scientists and astronauts.

02:40They know fairly well what they have been in.

02:43But tell us more, what kind of challenges are they facing right now, possibly?

02:48And on their return to Earth, when there will be gravity, that will be another level of

02:51challenge they'll have to adjust to.

02:53Definitely.

02:54When the Starliner that took astronauts Sohita Williams and Wilmot to space, we need to know

03:01that this was a demo mission.

03:03The idea was that they wanted to certify Starliner spacecraft that it is fit to carry humans

03:07and then safely bring them back.

03:09There were a lot of uncertainties and Sohita Williams and Wilmot has repeatedly said that

03:14space travel is filled with uncertainties.

03:16Therefore, when the problems arise, they decided that the mission will be extended.

03:21Now, this nine day mission has now turned into over an eight month mission.

03:25And with this, a lot of complications come in.

03:27First of all, you have to make a major readjustment psychologically that, OK, now we have to stay

03:31in space for at least the next seven to eight months, which takes a huge toll on the psyche

03:37of the person.

03:38But then we all know that most of the astronauts are veteran fighter pilots, helicopter pilots

03:43and veteran astronauts as well.

03:45So they've been in the space before and they know the rigors of going into space.

03:48When it comes to physical and health assessment of the two astronauts, then definitely it

03:54takes a lot of toll physically on the astronauts because zero gravity is where you do not experience

03:59any weight, you float, you are weightless in the space station.

04:04So all this affects is mostly that your bone density goes down, your bones are affected.

04:08Secondly, your cardiovascular system, they take a toll.

04:12So all this has been taken into consideration.

04:15A healthy diet is prescribed by NASA.

04:18Apart from that, a lot of exercises are done in NASA.

04:22So NASA has developed special equipment for astronauts to live and work in space station.

04:26They continuously work out on the space station on a daily basis.

04:32Therefore, it's a long process and once they come back, that's also a huge process.

04:37So what we know is that once the astronauts come back to earth, they take at least six

04:41to seven months for the body to fully readjust to the gravity on the planet.

04:47It's incredible what you're telling us because as Sebu is explaining what the body goes through

04:53in space and then when there will be gravity.

04:55Remember, physical fitness aside, and I'm sure they are fit, she's almost 60 years of

04:59age, but it also needs psychological stamina to keep your spirit and hope high despite

05:05the uncertainty of the return.

05:07It's been nine months already, but we hope they'll be entering into earth's surface again

05:11and will be reunited with their family.

05:13Thank you very much for now, Sebu Tripathi, for all the latest on that.

05:17I want to bring to the viewer basically what exactly is this rescue mission, so to say,

05:22about what does this mean and why are we facing delays and postponements on this.

05:27Now, remember, this space mission is where the SpaceX spacecraft, Dragon Space, will

05:32bring back the astronauts.

05:33So they have taken it upon themselves.

05:35Trump, when in this administration, said they cannot be abandoned and these astronauts will

05:40be brought back soon.

05:42The spacecraft will carry four experienced NASA astronauts as part of the Crew 10 mission.

05:47So the mission that will go to the International Space Station is the Crew 10 mission and that

05:51needs to replace the Crew 9 mission presently, which is at the ISS.

05:56So they will replace these members, which means Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore will

06:00have to be brought back in the spacecraft that comes back now.

06:03But what does that really mean?

06:04Remember, when you head into space, there are challenges of not just heading into and

06:09toward the ISS, but to return to Earth's atmosphere.

06:13And that's where there can be especially some technical challenges that you have to be very

06:17sure of having cleared.

06:19Post launch, Falcon 9 will be deployed and will deploy the Dragon capsule toward the

06:24ISS.

06:25So basically, they are in the International Space Station are comfortable for now, but

06:29there is also a time bound limit that they are looking at.

06:32Upon docking, the handover process will begin with Sunita Williams.

06:37And I keep saying Sunita Williams first because she in many ways is the commander of the mission.

06:41She's the leader.

06:42She gets to decide what needs to be done with other members of the crew as well.

06:46So that is what is going to happen.

06:48Looking with a strong spirit right now, but definitely it gets challenging over the next

06:53few days.

06:54So this is what is happening.

06:55And we hope that they'll be entering into Earth again.

06:59Remember, NASA is being very cautious right now amid all of this because the Crew 9 will

07:05begin their journey to Earth post the undocking.

07:08And it's a matter of about 12 to 24 hours when this mission is going to go on.

07:13Remember, we know about incidents like 2003 when Kalpana Chawla was returning and the

07:21spacecraft blew into pieces.

07:23A similar incident in 1986.

07:25And therefore, the NASA astronauts want to ensure that this return will happen soon and

07:30should be safe and smooth.

07:32What are the health concerns?

07:33What are the challenges when you're in space in microgravity?

07:36All that you have to tolerate and bear to return safely to Earth.

07:40Here's more on that.

07:53A 10-day space odyssey that ended up lasting almost 10 months.

07:59But it will not be a normal homecoming.

08:02Williams and Wilmore will face difficulties to adapt to Earth's gravity.

08:08The two may experience baby feet after extended space travel, which means they will lose the

08:14thick part of their skin as weightlessness causes food calluses to diminish.

08:19They may experience dizziness, vertigo and difficulty walking for the first few days.

08:25Even though astronauts exercise in space, muscles, especially in the legs and back,

08:30weaken due to reduced use.

08:32Prolonged weightlessness leads to bone density loss, increasing the risk of fractures.

08:38In space, fluids shift upwards and the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood.

08:43They will require a period of cardiovascular recovery.

08:47They might experience spatial disorientation

08:49as the brain readjusts to the constant downward pull of gravity.

08:55To counter these effects, NASA and other space agencies have extensive rehabilitation programs

09:01involving physical therapy, medical monitoring and gradual reconditioning.

09:06After coming back from space, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will take weeks to acclimatize.

09:13Bureau Report, India Today.

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