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Sunita Williams and Nick Hague repairing the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.
Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams started her spacewalk on the International Space Station (ISS) at 6.30 pm Indian time on Thursday evening. During this time, his space companion Astronaut Nick Hague was also with him.
NASA has shared live footage of their spacewalk. The purpose of this spacewalk is to repair the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope. The name of this mission is ‘US Spacewalk-91′. This mission is the 8th spacewalk in Sunita Williams’ career and Hague’s fourth spacewalk. This spacewalk lasted for about 6.5 hours.
Sunita and her colleague Nick Hague did repair work on the exterior of the ISS during this spacewalk. These included repairing the station’s navigation instruments, patching light filters on the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector device mounted on an International Docking Adapter.
Suneet Williams doing maintenance work on the exterior of the ISS.
Sunita Williams doing spacewalk after 12 years Sunita Williams is doing spacewalk after 12 years. She is known for her expertise in Extravehicular Activities (EVA), which is vital to the operation and upgrades of the ISS.
NASA had stopped the spacewalk of astronauts in May last year. In fact, then water started leaking from the cooling loop (water is used in the cooling system) of an astronaut’s suit into the airlock (the place from where the astronauts exit). After this problem was resolved, for the first time an astronaut has done a spacewalk.
Sunita Williams’ journey of 8 days turned into 10 months
Sunita Williams has been in space for more than 7 months. She reached the ISS with Butch Wilmore in June last year. He was to return after a week. Both had gone to test Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, but after a malfunction, both stayed at the ISS. Since then both are stuck there.
NASA had informed that Sunita and Butch Wilmore would be brought back in February 2025 by the Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. But now it may take more time for his return. NASA said last month that they would have to wait for the end of March 2025. This date may also extend till the beginning of April.
According to NASA, SpaceX has to build a new capsule to bring Sunita Williams back from space. It will take time for SpaceX to make it, due to which the mission will be delayed. This work can be completed by the end of March. Only after this will the astronauts stranded in space be brought back.
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams with the crew after arriving at the space station on June 6.
Why were Sunita and Wilmore sent to the space station?
Sunita and Bush Wilmore went on the joint ‘Crew Flight Test Mission’ of Boeing and NASA. In this, Sunita was the pilot of the spacecraft. Bush Wilmore, who accompanied him, was the commander of this mission. Both of them were to return to Earth after an 8-day stay in the International Space Station (ISS).
At the time of the launch, Ted Colbert, President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, called it a great start to a new era of space research. The main objective of this mission was to prove the spacecraft’s ability to take astronauts to the space station and bring them back.
Astronauts also had to do research and many experiments at the space station in 8 days. Sunita and Wilmore are the first astronauts who were sent on space travel using the Atlas-V rocket. During this mission he also had to fly the spacecraft manually. Many types of objectives related to flight test also had to be completed.
How did Sunita and Wilmore get stuck in space for so long?
The Starliner spacecraft had many problems since its launch. Due to these, launches had failed many times even before June 5. Even after launch, there were reports of problems with the spacecraft.
NASA said that there is a small helium leak in the thruster of the spacecraft’s service module. A spacecraft has many thrusters. With their help the spacecraft changes its path and speed. Due to the presence of helium gas, pressure is created on the rocket. Its structure remains strong, which helps the rocket in its flight.
There were 5 helium leaks in the spacecraft’s capsule in the 25 days after launch. 5 thrusters had stopped working. Additionally, a propellant valve could not be closed completely. The crew present in space and the mission manager sitting in Houston, America together are not able to fix it.
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Also read this news related to Sunita Williams…
Bhaskar Explainer- Sunita Williams’ spacecraft will return empty: There is danger to life by staying in space for 8 months; Answers to 7 important questions
Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams and her partner Bush Wilmore will remain stranded in space until March 2025. NASA had sent both the astronauts to space on a mission of only 8 days. The spacecraft by which Sunita and Wilmore had reached space returned to Earth without taking Sunita due to a malfunction. Read the full news here…
