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Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will now return to Earth in February 2025, a delay of six months from their original schedule, NASA announced.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will now return to Earth in February 2025, a delay of six months from their original schedule, NASA announced. They will leave the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of the Boeing Starliner.
This extension has prompted concerns about their food and oxygen supplies. NASA reassures that there is no immediate danger, and the ISS has ample provisions to support the crew during the extended stay.
NASA assured that the International Space Station (ISS) is fully stocked with essential supplies such as food, water, clothing, and oxygen. Regular resupply missions will continue to meet the astronauts’ needs, with recent cargo deliveries including 8,200 pounds of food, fuel, and other supplies and an additional three tons of cargo.
Living in space requires unique arrangements; astronauts can sleep anywhere due to zero gravity, often using sleeping stations similar to phone booths with sleeping bags and pillows attached to various surfaces.
They also have access to communication tools for video calls, audio calls, and emails through NASA. The ISS features a gym known as the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), where astronauts use vacuum cylinders to simulate weightlifting.
This equipment allows them to perform exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, helping to maintain muscle mass and bone density during their stay in space.
Additionally, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have access to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie Garden) on the ISS. This system enables them to grow fresh produce and flowers in space.
During their extended mission, they have been experimenting with different techniques to enhance crop growth in the unique space environment. Williams and Wilmore are set to return to Earth in late February aboard a SpaceX spacecraft.
Meanwhile, their original spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, will undock in early September for an uncrewed return journey. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the agency’s commitment to safety, stating, “Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine.
A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine,” explaining the decision to keep the astronauts on the ISS and return the Starliner without crew.
