Astronaut Sunita Williams
June 29, 2024 – NASA is grappling with another major challenge as astronaut Sunita Williams finds herself stuck in space following the breakup of a defunct Russian satellite near the International Space Station (ISS). The incident has significantly complicated her return plans.
Debris Incident: The Russian satellite, RESURS-P1, broke into over 100 pieces, creating a dangerous cloud of debris in low-Earth orbit. This event has exacerbated the already critical issue of space debris around the ISS, posing risks to its inhabitants and future missions .
Safety Measures: In response to the debris threat, NASA instructed Williams and her fellow astronauts to take shelter in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked to the ISS. They remained in the Starliner for about an hour until the immediate danger had passed and it was safe to resume normal activities.
Long-Term Risks: The debris from the satellite is expected to remain in orbit for several years, increasing the likelihood of collisions with other spacecraft. This situation highlights the need for better international regulations to manage space debris and prevent similar incidents in the future.
The risk from the defunct Russian satellite‘s debris is likely to remain for a longer duration as it will take weeks to months before the hazard has passed, said Leolabs in a statement.
ABOUT THE ASTRONAUT:
“The view of Earth is absolutely spectacular, and the feeling of looking back and seeing your planet as a planet is just an amazing feeling. It’s a totally different perspective, and it makes you appreciate, actually, how fragile our existence is.” —Sally Ride
PRO CHIEF’S MESSAGE FOR SUNITA WILLIAMS:
Due to the low orbit of this debris cloud, we estimate it’ll be weeks to months before the hazard has passed,” Reuters quoted LeoLabs.
The Russian satellite, RESURS-P1 (#39186), broke up into hundreds of pieces in the low-Earth orbit on Wednesday. It is worth noting that there is no immediate threat to ISS astronauts. However, the incident has added to the space garbage. The US Space Command in a statement, said that the explosion left nearly 100 pieces of trackable debris in space.
The aircraft broke into pieces at around 10 am Mountain Time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, according to Space Command. The breakdown was reported to have occurred in an orbit near the space station. Due to the incident, all the astronauts on board, including Sunita Williams, were asked to take shelter in their spacecraft for roughly an hour.
So far, NASA or any other agency linked with Sunita Williams’ Boeing Starliner program has not officially announced the impact of the incident on her return spaceflight to Earth. [NASA]
On Friday, Stich said that NASA is considering extending the maximum length of Starliner’s mission from 45 days to 90 days and there is no firm return date on the horizon, according to a CNN report.
Addressing a briefing on Friday, the NASA official said, “We’re just looking at the timeline to execute (the test in New Mexico) and then review the data.” He further said, “And that’s what’s really the long pole, I would say, determining a landing date.” Stich added, “We’re not in a rush to come home.”
WHAT THE ISRO CHEIF SAID IN THE NDTV INTERVIEW ?
In an interview with NDTV, the ISRO chief said, “It is not just Sunita Williams or any other astronaut. Getting stranded or stuck in a place is not a narrative that we must have at this moment. All of them have to come back someday. The whole issue is about testing a new crew module called Boeing Starliner, its ability to go up there and then come back safely. There are enough capabilities with ground launch providers (to bring them home). That’s not an issue. ISS is a safe place for people to stay for a long time.”
The two NASA astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, were scheduled to return on June 14. However, the pair has no set date to return to Earth as their return has been delayed multiple times amid several mechanical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
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