Sunita Williams Health: The Crew Dragon mission scheduled for September 2024 could potentially pave the way for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return from space. At the same time, Sunita Williams has been afflicted with a new disease, due to which she is facing problems.
There is no fixed date yet as to when Indian-American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). All kinds of speculations are being made, but in the meantime the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is grappling with a new problem and that is regarding Sunita Williams’ health.
Williams has reportedly been experiencing vision problems on the space station, which is due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. Known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), the condition affects fluid distribution in the body, causing vision problems, blurring of vision and changes in the structure of the eyes. Williams recently underwent scans of her cornea, retina and lens to assess the severity of her condition.
NASA is looking for alternatives
Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore are currently stationed on the ISS. As per the plan, their return from space was to be on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but due to technical fault this return got stuck. It is being told that the agency is considering an alternative. It can use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts back home.
According to the information, the Crew Dragon mission scheduled for September 2024 could potentially pave the way for Williams and Wilmore to return from space. If this happens, the time of stay of both the passengers in space will increase further. Initially the time was increased by eight days, but now it will gradually increase to eight months. Crew Dragon will return to Earth in February 2025 and if this plan works properly, Boeing’s Starliner will return without a crew, which will be completely controlled by computers.
The company’s reputation will be damaged greatly
Switching to SpaceX’s spacecraft will prove to be a big blow for Boeing as Boeing is facing criticism. Its project has been delayed and it is also going to be very expensive. The aerospace giant is facing many technical problems. If NASA chooses SpaceX, then the company’s reputation is at risk of further damage. One of the biggest challenges facing NASA is spacesuits. The suits designed for Boeing’s Starliner are not suitable for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. This means that if astronauts return on the Dragon, they may have to do so without their suits, raising safety concerns. NASA is working to resolve these issues and has also considered sending additional SpaceX flight suits with the Crew-9 Dragon mission.
