Page 4 - Sunita Williams

Stuck astronauts make 1st comments after Boeing capsule leaves without them

Stuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Indian-origin Sunita Williams said Friday they appreciated all the prayers and well wishes from strangers back home. It was their first public comments since last week's return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the International Space Station in June. They remained behind after NASA determined the problem-plagued capsule posed too much risk for them to ride back in. Wilmore and Williams are now full-fledged station crew members, chipping in on routine maintenance and experiments. They along with seven others on board welcomed a Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American earlier this week, temporarily raising the station population to 12, a near record. The two Starliner test pilots both retired Navy captains and longtime NASA astronauts will stay at the orbiting laboratory until late February. They have to wait for a SpaceX capsule to bring them back. That spacecraft is due to launch later this month with a ..

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft returns to earth with no one onboard

After months of turmoil over its safety, Boeing's new astronaut capsule departed the International Space Station on Friday without its crew and headed back to Earth. NASA's two test pilots stayed behind at the space station their home until next year as the Starliner capsule undocked 260 miles (420 kilometres) over China, springs gently pushing it away from the orbiting laboratory. The return flight was expected to take six hours, with a nighttime touchdown in the New Mexico desert. "She's on her way home," astronaut Sunita Williams radioed after Starliner exited Williams and Butch Wilmore should have flown Starliner back to Earth in June, a week after launching in it. But thruster failures and helium leaks marred their ride to the space station. NASA ultimately decided it was too risky to return the duo on Starliner. So the fully automated capsule left with their empty seats and blue spacesuits along with some old station equipment. SpaceX will bring the duo back in late Februar

Nasa unravels the mystery behind 'strange noises' on space station

Over the weekend, astronaut Butch Wilmore reported a 'strange' pulsing sound from the Starliner craft

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore report strange noise in Boeing's Starliner

The Nasa astronauts reported a pulsating sound coming from the faulty Starliner spacecraft just days ahead of its scheduled unmanned departure from the ISS for its return to Earth

Sunita Williams assures mother of safe return amid extended space mission

Originally planned as a week-long mission, Sunita Williams' stay has been extended by several months due to repeated helium leaks and other technical challenges

Veteran Navy pilots, now astronauts, to stay for more time at space station

The two astronauts who will spend extra time at the International Space Station are Navy test pilots who have ridden out long missions before. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been holed up at the space station with seven others since the beginning of June, awaiting a verdict on how and when they would return to Earth. NASA decided Saturday they won't be flying back in their troubled Boeing capsule, but will wait for a ride with SpaceX in late February, pushing their mission to more than eight months. Their original itinerary on the test flight was eight days. Butch Wilmore Wilmore, 61, grew up in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, playing football for his high school team and later Tennessee Technological University. He joined the Navy, becoming a test pilot and racking up more than 8,000 hours of flying time and 663 aircraft carrier landings. He flew combat missions during the first Gulf War in 1991 and was serving as a flight test instructor when NASA chose him as an ...

NASA to decide on Aug 24 if Boeing's new capsule safe to fly 2 astronauts

NASA said Thursday it will decide this weekend whether Boeing's new capsule is safe enough to return two astronauts from the International Space Station, where they've been waiting since June. Administrator Bill Nelson and other top officials will meet Saturday. An announcement is expected from Houston once the meeting ends. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing's Starliner on June 5. The test flight quickly encountered thruster failures and helium leaks so serious that NASA kept the capsule parked at the station as engineers debated what to do. SpaceX could retrieve the astronauts, but that would keep them up there until next February. They were supposed to return after a week or so at the station. If NASA decides SpaceX is the way to go, Starliner would return to Earth empty in September. Engineers are evaluating a new computer model for the Starliner thrusters and how they might perform as the capsule descends out of orbit for a touchdown in the U.S.

Nasa astronauts could vapourize to death if they return on faulty Starliner

Former US military Space System Commander, Rudy Ridolfi, lays down three possible scenarios of the stranded astronauts' return to earth onboard Starliner. Here's all you need to know

Sunita Williams faces radiation, muscle loss risk on extended ISS mission

Prolonged exposure to space radiation can lead to multiple health problems such as an increased risk of cancer, tissue damage, and complications in the nervous system

Could Sunita Williams stay stranded in space till Feb 2025? Nasa weighs in

Nasa is now considering a backup plan that could see astronaut Sunita Williams return aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon, but not before February 2025

Nasa delays Spacex Crew-9 mission as Boeing's Starliner struggles continue

The Starliner has been docked at the ISS for seven weeks longer than expected due to thruster issues and helium leaks, delaying its return to Earth

Nasa begins final countdown of Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore's return

The Boeing Starliner needs to be undocked from the International Space Station to accommodate the Crew-9 mission set to launch no earlier than August 18

Return date of Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore still uncertain, says Nasa

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's mission, initially planned to last a week and conclude in mid-June, has now extended beyond a month as they remain in orbit

No return date yet for astronauts and Boeing capsule at space station: Nasa

Already more than a month late getting back, two NASA astronauts will remain at the International Space Station until engineers finish working on problems plaguing their Boeing capsule, officials said Thursday. Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to visit the orbiting lab for about a week and return in mid-June, but thruster failures and helium leaks on Boeing's new Starliner capsule prompted NASA and Boeing to keep them up longer. NASA's commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said mission managers were not ready to announce a return date. Engineers last week completed testing on a spare thruster in the New Mexico desert to try to understand what went wrong during docking and to prepare for the trip home. Five thrusters failed as the capsule approached the space station on June 6, a day after liftoff. Four have since been reactivated. After the space shuttles retired, NASA hired private companies for astronaut rides to the space station, paying Boeing and

Sunita Williams sends her 1st message to Earth; know all about her mission

Astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her mission commander Butch Wilmore, face uncertainty as they remain stuck in space for over a month due to technical snag with the Boeing Starliner

When will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally return to Earth?

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore has been aboard the ISS since June 6, after the Boeing Starliner experienced technical issues that delayed their return

No return date yet for Nasa astronauts who used Boeing's space capsule

Two NASA astronauts will stay longer at the International Space Station as engineers troubleshoot problems on Boeing's new space capsule that cropped up on the trip there. NASA on Friday did not set a return date until testing on the ground was complete and said the astronauts were safe. We're not in any rush to come home, said NASA's commercial crew programme manager Steve Stich. Veteran NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule for the orbiting laboratory on June 5. It was the first astronaut launch for Boeing after years of delays and setbacks. The test flight was expected to last a week or so, enough time for Wilmore and Williams to check out the capsule while docked at the station. But problems with the capsule's propulsion system, used to maneuver the spacecraft, prompted NASA and Boeing to delay the flight home several times while they analysed the trouble. They also wanted to avoid conflicting with spacewalks by station

Debris from Russian satellite forces Sunita Williams into emergency shelter

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams had to take emergency shelter on the ISS after the breakup of a defunct Russian satellite in space created more than 100 trackable debris

Sunita Williams stuck on ISS for over 2 weeks: What is causing the delay?

Nasa has delayed the return of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station as the space agency wants to conduct additional reviews of the spacecraft's technical issues

Superbugs in space

Sunita Williams' new workout buddy in space could reshape our understanding of microbial life and health