NASA astronauts to return early after extended space mission
NASA has announced a new return date for astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been on the International Space Station for over nine months. Originally, their mission was supposed to last eight days, but it has been significantly extended due to technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft.
The planned return of the astronauts has been moved to 19 March 2025, which means they will return to Earth two weeks earlier than expected. According to the "Daily Mail," this change is related to the use of another SpaceX spacecraft instead of the unit intended for the SpaceX Crew-10 mission.
The extended mission means that Williams and Wilmore could join the elite group of astronauts who have spent over 300 days in space. However, such a lengthy stay in microgravity conditions poses serious health risks, including loss of bone and muscle mass as well as cardiovascular and vision problems.
Dr John Jaquish explains that the prolonged lack of gravity contributes to rapid bone density reduction and muscle weakening. This is why astronauts on the ISS exercise for about two hours daily to counteract these effects.
As reported by the "Daily Mail," despite this, it's impossible to completely eliminate the negative effects of lack of gravity. Meanwhile, Dr Vinay Gupta emphasises that although astronauts are prepared for harsh conditions, the reality of space often differs from training on Earth.
The return of Williams and Wilmore to Earth
According to the latest plans, Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 mission in March 2025. NASA decided to delay the return to ensure ample time for the transfer of experiences between crews, which is crucial for the scientific research conducted on the ISS.
Simultaneously, NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the next mission – Crew-10, which is planned to launch no earlier than March 2025. Despite numerous challenges, the agency assures that the astronauts are in good health and their experience will aid in further developing space programmes.
