The wait for Sunita Williams' return home is no longer long… 'Good news' from NASA
After this latest update from NASA, the hopes of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's safe return to Earth have increased further. It is believed that in just a few days NASA can tell the possible date of the mission to bring both of them back.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may return from space soon.- Image Tv9
The US space agency NASA has given a big 'good news' regarding Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams. The return of Sunita Williams and her partner Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for about 55 days, is now just a few steps away.
On June 5, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore reached the International Space Station in a Starliner aircraft. Both of them had to complete their mission in 8 days and return to Earth on June 13. But due to a technical fault in the Starliner aircraft, their return became difficult. NASA was forced to postpone their return mission.
NASA gives 'good news' on Williams-Wilmore
NASA conducted a docked hot fire test of the Starliner aircraft on July 27, giving information about its results, NASA has said that all the thrusters tested have returned to their initial level based on thrust and chamber pressure. Apart from this, the team of engineers also checked the supply and leakage of helium gas in the Starliner aircraft, during this time the team of engineers has also confirmed the margin required for the return journey.
After this testing, the helium manifolds have been closed, now it will be tested before Starliner undocks. A NASA team in New Mexico is reviewing the hot fire test and ground testing data of the thruster. After this review, both NASA and the Starliner team can decide a date for the return of the astronauts.
Preliminary results from the July 27 #Starliner tests show all the tested thrusters are back to preflight levels based on thrust and chamber pressure.
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) July 30, 2024
For additional details about the test: https://t.co/HZLnNZ9gcE https://t.co/4pNhaLbiZx
Return date to be announced soon!
While NASA's ground teams are working on the Starliner's return to Earth, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are working with other astronauts on the ISS. Earlier on July 29, Wilmore and Williams entered their spacecraft and checked its water system.
After this latest update from NASA, the hopes of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's safe return to Earth have increased further. It is believed that in just a few days, NASA can tell the possible date of the mission to bring both of them back. Although many astronauts including Sunita Williams are present in the International Space Station (ISS), recently NASA also released a video message about the Paris Olympics in which all the astronauts were seen carrying an electronic version of the Olympic torch.
8 day mission…months of waiting!
Indian-origin Sunita Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. Born in America in 1965, Sunita Williams' father Deepak Pandya was an Indian who migrated to America from Ahmedabad, Gujarat in 1958. This is not the first time that Sunita Williams has gone on a space mission, she has already traveled to space twice. Sunita has previously gone to space in 2006 and 2012.
Although this time their mission was supposed to be of just 8 days, but now almost 55 days have passed. It remains to be seen how many more days will have to wait for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return home?