Stranded NASA Astronauts on the ISS Catch Sight of the ‘Twilight Zone’

NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have reached their six-month milestone of being stranded on the Worldwide House Station, regardless of initially planning to remain for simply eight days. And now, certainly one of their fellow astronauts has snapped a photograph from the “Twilight Zone.” 

No, not the famed Rod Serling TV present. On Saturday, astronaut Don Pettit shared a photograph of some very cool clouds, with a proof of why he is dubbing it the Twilight Zone.

“Dwelling within the Twilight Zone,” Pettit mentioned. “Our orbit on @Space_Station now could be aligned with Earth’s day-night shadow thus we see neither full day nor full evening. That is the most effective time to {photograph} clouds beneath low angle lighting.”

However Willians and Wilmore, who ought to come again dwelling to Earth in 2025, do not feel like their prolonged keep has fallen beneath darkish clouds.

“I like all the things about being up right here,” Williams mentioned Wednesday. “Dwelling in area is tremendous enjoyable.”

The astronauts are maintaining busy, with Williams and Wilmore helping the opposite ISS residents in area botany research and different analysis, in response to NASA’s ISS weblog. They’ve aided in additional than 60 scientific research of their almost six months on board, the Washington Put up studies.

This is what that you must find out about what the 2 astronauts are as much as.

Who’re the astronauts?

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are veteran astronauts and are each naval officers and former take a look at pilots. Williams has been a NASA astronaut since 1998, and Wilmore since 2000. Each have loads of expertise in area.

Williams is the previous report holder for many spacewalks by a lady (seven) and most spacewalk time for a girl (50 hours, 40 minutes), and in 2007, she ran the primary marathon by any particular person in area.

In 2009, Wilmore piloted the House Shuttle Atlantis on its mission to the ISS, and in 2014, he was a part of the ISS crew that used a 3D printer to fabricate a device — a ratchet wrench — in area, the primary time people manufactured one thing off-world.

What was their unique mission in area?

Wilmore, as commander, and Williams, as pilot, traveled to the ISS on a 15-foot-wide, Boeing-made capsule referred to as Starliner. They launched on June 5 and docked with the ISS on June 6. NASA hopes Starliner will give the group a brand new technique to get crews to and from the ISS, and the truth that it is Boeing-made is one other signal that NASA is beginning to lean on the non-public sector for its human spaceflight choices, The New York Instances reported.

Wilmore and Williams’ ISS mission was imagined to final a mere eight days, throughout which they’d take a look at out features of Starliner and see the way it operates with a human crew in area. However resulting from problems with Starliner, the 2 astronauts are nonetheless up there and will not be again earlier than 2025. 

What are the astronauts consuming?

Meals on the ISS is a significant focus, as contemporary produce have to be replenished each three months with deliveries from Earth. On Nov. 23, the unpiloted Progress 90 resupply spacecraft efficiently docked to the ISS. However the newest meals supply got here with an undesirable odor.

“After opening the Progress spacecraft’s hatch, the Roscosmos cosmonauts seen an sudden odor and noticed small droplets, prompting the crew to shut the Poisk hatch to the remainder of the Russian section,” a NASA consultant mentioned in an announcement posted to social media.

“House station air scrubbers and contaminant sensors monitored the station’s ambiance following the commentary, and on Sunday, flight controllers decided air high quality contained in the area station was at regular ranges,” NASA mentioned. “There aren’t any considerations for the crew, and as of Sunday afternoon, the crew is working to open the hatch between Poisk and Progress whereas all different area station operations are continuing as deliberate.”

NASA revealed that their menu consists of cereal with powdered milk, pizza, shrimp cocktails, roast hen and tuna.

The odor that got here together with the spacecraft is not the one food-related concern of late, with some publications questioning the astronauts’ skinny look primarily based on latest images. 

Dr. J.D. Polk, NASA chief well being and medical officer, made an official assertion saying Williams and Wilmore are simply superb. “NASA and our companions have safely performed lengthy length missions aboard the orbital laboratory for many years, finding out the results of area on the human physique as we put together for exploration farther into the photo voltaic system,” Polk mentioned. “Crew well being is usually monitored by devoted flight surgeons on Earth, they usually have a person food plan and health regime to make sure they continue to be wholesome all through their expeditions.”

Williams mentioned she weighs the identical as she did when she reached the area station, in a video interview performed Nov. 12 on the ISS.

How they’re going to return to Earth in early 2025

In June, the 2 NASA astronauts landed on the ISS. In September, their faulty Boeing Starliner capsule returned to Earth with out them for security causes.

The Starliner returned alone to White Sands House Harbor in New Mexico on Sept. 6 and the spacecraft that may deliver them dwelling — a SpaceX Dragon — arrived on the ISS on Sept. 29. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov joined them on board the area station with that late September arrival of the Dragon spacecraft. 4 crew members have been initially scheduled to be on board at launch, however two stayed behind to make room for Wilmore and Williams’ return journey.

Wilmore and Williams can be introduced dwelling on the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft early subsequent 12 months and “will proceed their work formally as a part of the Expedition 71/72 crew by way of February 2025,” the area company mentioned in an announcement. “They are going to fly dwelling aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two different crew members assigned to the company’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.”

“Spaceflight is dangerous, even at its most secure and most routine,” NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson mentioned in an announcement on Aug. 24. “A take a look at flight, by nature, is neither secure, nor routine. The choice to maintain Butch and Suni aboard the Worldwide House Station and convey Boeing’s Starliner dwelling uncrewed is the results of our dedication to security: our core worth and our North Star.”

What are the astronauts saying?

The astronauts have been optimistic about their expertise. At a reside information convention in September, Williams mentioned that regardless of understanding their mission was scheduled to take solely eight days, they’d each been “coaching for a variety of years” for it. They’re totally certified to stay in area for an prolonged time period, and to assist pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that’ll deliver them dwelling subsequent 12 months.

“It’s totally peaceable up right here,” Williams mentioned on Sept. 13, although she added that they miss their households again on Earth.

The astronauts are engaged on analysis, upkeep and knowledge evaluation throughout their prolonged keep.

“We’re having a good time right here on ISS,” Williams mentioned in a information convention held from orbit in July. “I am not complaining. Butch is not complaining that we’re up right here for a few additional weeks.”

How did they get caught in area within the first place?

The Starliner was delayed in Might resulting from an issue with a valve within the rocket. Then engineers needed to repair a helium leak. That is all dangerous information for Boeing. It is competing with SpaceX, which has been transporting astronauts to the ISS since 2020, making over 20 profitable journeys to the area station.

Starliner lastly launched, atop an Atlas V rocket, on June 5, however some issues got here together with it. NASA introduced that three helium leaks have been recognized, certainly one of which was identified earlier than flight, and two new ones. Along with the leaks, the crew needed to troubleshoot failed management thrusters, although the craft was in a position to efficiently dock with the ISS. 

SpaceX has had failures too. A Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launchpad in 2016. In July of this 12 months, a Falcon 9 rocket skilled a liquid oxygen leak and deployed its satellites within the flawed orbit, The New York Instances reported. And a Falcon 9 rocket in late August misplaced a first-stage booster when it toppled over into the Atlantic Ocean and caught fireplace.

However that mentioned, SpaceX has greater than 300 profitable Falcon 9 flights to its credit score. 

Caught in area: A timeline

• Might: Starliner launch delayed resulting from an issue with a valve within the rocket, after which a helium leak.
• June 5: Starliner launches with Williams and Wilmore on board.
• June 6: Starliner docks with ISS regardless of coping with three helium leaks and failed management thrusters.
• Sept. 6: Starliner departs ISS and lands in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore behind.
• Sept. 28: SpaceX Crew-9 mission launches with Hague and Gorbunov on a Dragon spacecraft.
• Sept. 29: SpaceX Dragon docks with ISS.
• February 2025 onward: SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will return to Earth with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov.