Can India help in bringing NASA's Sunita Williams back to Earth ...
NASA’s astronaut Sunita Williams went to space back in June this year on a mission with a plan to come back after a week, but had to extend her stay because of faulty Starliner spacecraft. Now, NASA is exploring ways to bring her back to Earth safely, as she has been there for over 2 months now. ISRO Chief S. Somanath was recently asked if India could help bring her back, he responded saying that at this point, only Russia and the US can help her.
During an interaction on a podcast named BeerBiceps, he said, “Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do directly from India to help at this moment. We don't have the capability to send a craft to rescue her. The only potential solutions would come from either the US or Russia. The US has the Crew Dragon vehicle, and Russia has the Soyuz, both of which could be used for a rescue mission.”
There have been rumours that NASA astronaut Sunita Williams along with Butch Wilmore has been stranded in space. To this, he said, “I don't believe the situation is extremely critical right now. The Boeing Starliner did show some anomalies, which is why they’re being cautious. The Starliner has had issues before, even before its launch, leading to several postponements. They ultimately decided to go ahead with the launch, but they’re now wary of the risks involved in the return journey, which can be more dangerous than the launch itself. Boeing has been conducting ground tests to prove the spacecraft’s safety, but it seems the results and clearances are still pending.”
The major issue is with Starliner's faulty propulsion system. It has raised safety concerns for a crewed return flight. NASA officials indicated a decision regarding the astronauts' fate is imminent, stating, “We really should be making a call, if not sooner” by the end of August.
NASA is planning to bring back the astronauts in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, scheduled for late September, but then they will return aboard Crew-9 early next year.
ISRO Chief added, “They might end up using Crew Dragon to bring them back, but human spaceflight is complex and requires careful planning and scheduling. That’s probably what they’re waiting on.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other top officials are set to meet on Saturday. That is when it is expected that they will come up with the return date or timeline for the two astronauts.
