Astronomers “Automatic” astronauts in NASA are about to go home

NASA’s Sonya Space Pioneers, Sony, Williams and Barry “Bouch”, Wilmor was at the International Space Station for more than eight months, although they were initially expected to stay for only eight days. But it is time to go home. The ISS relief crew is expected to be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening, and Williams and Wilmore should be on their way home on March 16.

The new crew heading to ISS is composed of NASA astronauts, Nicole Aires, and the Japanese space exploration agency, Takoya Ounishi, and Rosskosmos Creed Peskov.

Once they arrive, there will be a delivery period for two days, then Williams, Wilwmore and NASA’s Nick Louty and Rossusmosa spacecraft will be in Alexander Gorbonov on the way to return to Earth.

On March 7, Williams I turned ISS leadership To Roscosmos Cosmomnaut Alexey Ovchinin, she is preparing to return home.

“We are not stuck.”

Tell Williams PBS NewShour Recently, they do not feel the abandonment of NASA.

“It is clear that there is a lot of discussion on this topic, so people may be able to imagine that this is the way we are, but we are not stuck,” she said. “We are part of a larger process, right?”

When asked about the practical aspects of being suddenly in space for a long time than expected, without the additional supplies, Willmour said it was not a problem.

“We started with fewer clothes, if you will, it was intended,” he said. “We have put forward some of the additional equipment you need – the necessary space station. We put it with us. So we took off some of our clothes. We would have been here a week or so.

“But we did it. It was not big, frankly. The space station program plans for multiple emergency strikes. We store food for four months exceeding what is expected, at least. Some times – longer than that, food and other amenities, wet mops, and everything you need here.”

Wimor told PBS that he is able to speak to his family from space, noting that he is not only talking to his daughter but to his young daughter’s friend.

“As a father of girls, this is my responsibilities,” he said.

Read more: The first interactive stream in NASA shows the amount of astronauts. Coffee

Scale

Because their stay was extended, Williams set a record. I went on a 5 -hour and 26 -minute space road with Wilmor, yet walking, she exceeded the record by a woman to spend time on space. According to the space siteWilliams now has 62 hours and 6 minutes from the outskirts of space, bypassing the former astronaut Beji Whittson, who had 60 hours and 21 minutes.

In this last space, the two worked to remove the defective radio communication unit recently, one that astronauts on two previous spaces were unable to remove it.

Williams previously collaborated with astronaut Nick The Hague to get a space on January 16. On this space, Williams and Hayu replaced the rotation of rotation that helps maintain the direction of the tropical outpost. Space pioneers also installed corrections to cover the damaged areas of lighting filters on the X -ray telescope of the internal composition of the neutron composition, and they replaced a reflective device on one of the international laying transformers, and to examine access areas and Mosul tools that astronauts will use to maintain the future alpha magnetic spectra.

Who are the astronauts?

Wilmur, 61, Williams, 58, are veteran astronauts, both maritime officers and former test pilots. Williams has been an astronaut in NASA since 1998, and Wilmmore since 2000. Both of them have a lot of experience in space.

Williams is the former record holder of most space lanes by a woman (seven) and most space time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes), and in 2007, the first marathon was run by anyone in space.

In 2009, Willmore tried the Atlantis space shuttle on his mission to ISS, and in 2014, he was part of the ISS crew who used a 3D printer to manufacture the Ratecht-Steve tool in space, the first time humans manufactured something outside the world.

What is their original mission in space?

William, as a leader, and Williams, as a pilot, traveled to the International Space Station on a 15 -foot capsule, called Starliner. They were launched on June 5 and was established with the International Space Station on June 6. NASA hopes that Starliner will give the organization a new way to get sets to and from the plant space station I mentioned.

The Wilmore and Williams ISS mission was supposed to continue in just eight days, as they tested Starliner aspects and learn how to work with a human crew in space. But due to complications with Starliner, astronauts are still there.

How did you stumble in space in the first place?

the Starlener is late In May due to a problem with the valve in the missile. Then engineers had to repair helium leakage. This is all bad news for Boeing. that it Competition with SpacexThat was Transfer of astronauts to ISS Since 2020, more than 20 successful flights were made to the space station.

On June 5, Starliner finally fired over the ATLAS V missile, but some problems came with launch. NASA announced this Three helium leakage It was identified, one of which was known before the trip, and two new two. In addition to the leaks, the crew was forced to explore and repair errors to control, although the craft was successfully able to lay with ISS.

Spacex also failed. A Falcon 9 missile exploded On the Launchpad platform in 2016. In July this year, the Falcon 9 missed a liquid oxygen leak I mentioned. In addition, the Falcon 9 missile lost in late August the first stage strengthening when it was overthrown to the Atlantic Ocean The fire caught.

However, Spacex succeeds more than 300 Falcon trips 9 Its credit.

Space stuck: a timetable

• May: Starliner’s launch was delayed due to a problem with a valve in the missile, then helium leakage.
• June 5: Starliner’s launch with Williams and Wilmore on board.
• June 6: Starliner accumulate with ISS despite dealing with three helium leaks and failed control.
• September 6: Starliner ISS and lands in New Mexico leave, leaving Williams and Wilmmore behind.
• September 28: Mission Sacex Crew-9 was launched with Hague and Gorbunov on a Dragon spacecraft.
• September 29: Dragon Dragon Dragon with ISS.
• December 17: NASA announced the launch of four crew members to ISS from February to late March.
• March 12: NASA’s astronaut is expected to be launched by NASA, Anne MacLean and Nicole Aires, and the Japanese Space Explorement Agency in Japan Takoy Ounishi and Roscosmos, Kilrel Peskov, to ISS.
• Nearly 16 March: The Spacex Dragon spacecraft will return to Earth with Williams, Wilmmore Haig and Jourbonov.