NASA astronauts stranded on ISS share Christmas needs on social media

Christmas in house? NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore absolutely did not assume they’d nonetheless be aboard the Worldwide Area Station for Christmas once they left Earth in June. In actual fact, they initially deliberate to remain solely eight days. And now, what was deliberate as a return in February has been postponed to the tip of March.

However the two stranded astronauts, together with fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit, not too long ago despatched their Christmas needs again to Earth with pictures and movies on social media exhibiting the house vacationers carrying vacation headwear .

A Instagram image reveals Pettit and Williams carrying Santa hats. And in a videoWilliams, Wilmore, Pettit and Hague pose with a snowman and a small adorned tree, whereas all three males put on Santa hats and Williams wears reindeer antlers.

Everybody takes turns speaking about their trip in orbit, letting sweet canes float round them, exhibiting off the preserves they’ll style, and in addition utilizing the weightlessness of microgravity to drift the microphone to the following speaker.

“It’s a good time of 12 months right here,” Williams says. “We will spend it with our complete ‘household’ on the Worldwide Area Station, there are seven of us right here, so we can benefit from the firm collectively.”

Christmas conspiracy idea?

Many individuals who watched the video or noticed the pictures questioned why the ISS had Christmas decorations.

“An 8-day mission that become a number of months and so they in some way have Christmas hats?” asked a commenter.

Different commentators have identified that the ISS did not simply come into being in June, when Williams and Wilmore arrived. In actual fact, Williams additionally spent Christmas 2006 in house.

NASA confirmed to the New York Put up that the Santa hats, together with Christmas decorations, meals and items for the crew, have been delivered in late November through the SpaceX spacecraft. Provides to the ISS are usually replenished through such deliveries.

The return of February is now March

Lately, NASA pushed again Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth from February to the tip of March.

“NASA and SpaceX have evaluated numerous choices for dealing with the upcoming crew switch, together with the usage of one other Dragon spacecraft and changes to the manifest,” based on a NASA press release issued on December 17. “After cautious consideration, the crew decided that launching Crew-10 in late March, following the completion of the brand new Dragon spacecraft, was the most suitable choice to fulfill NASA’s necessities and obtain the house station’s objectives for 2025.

The delay permits NASA and SpaceX groups to finish work on the mission’s new Dragon spacecraft. This new craft will launch 4 crew members to the ISS: Commander Anne McClain, Commander and Pilot Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. As soon as the brand new crew is settled, Williams, Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will return to Earth.

However Williams and Wilmore aren’t complaining about their prolonged keep.

“I like the whole lot about being right here.” Williams said early December. “Dwelling in house is tremendous enjoyable.”

The astronauts are busy, with Williams and Wilmore serving to different ISS residents with house botany research and different analysis, according to NASA’s ISS blog. They contributed to greater than 60 scientific research throughout their almost six-month keep on board, reports the Washington Post.

Here 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 in depth expertise in house.

Williams is the previous document holder for many spacewalks by a lady (seven) and spacewalk time by a lady (50 hours and 40 minutes), and in 2007 she ran the primary marathon by an individual in house.

In 2009, Wilmore piloted the Area 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 make a device – a ratchet wrench – in house for the primary time. made one thing out of the world.

What was their preliminary mission in house?

Wilmore, as commander, and Williams, as pilot, traveled to the ISS aboard a 15-foot-wide capsule made by Boeing known as the Starliner. They have been launched on June 5 and docked with the ISS on June 6. NASA hopes Starliner will give the group a brand new option to get crews to and from the ISS, and the truth that it is made by Boeing is one other signal that NASA is beginning to have a look at the ISS . on the personal sector for its human spaceflight choices, The New York Occasions reported.

Wilmore and Williams’ ISS mission was alleged to final simply eight days, throughout which they’d take a look at elements of Starliner and see the way it works with a human crew in house. However resulting from issues with Starliner, the 2 astronauts are nonetheless up there.

What do astronauts eat?

Meals aboard the ISS is a significant precedence, as contemporary produce should be restocked each three months with deliveries from Earth. On November 23, the Progress 90 unmanned resupply spacecraft efficiently docked with the ISS. However the final meals supply had an undesirable scent.

“After opening the hatch of the Progress spacecraft, Roscosmos cosmonauts seen an sudden odor and noticed small droplets, which prompted the crew to shut the Poisk hatch to the remainder of the Russian phase,” a press release mentioned. The NASA representative said in a press release posted on social media.

“The house station’s air scrubbers and contaminant sensors monitored the station’s ambiance after the commentary, and on Sunday, flight controllers decided that the air high quality contained in the house station was at regular ranges,” NASA mentioned. “There aren’t any issues for the crew and since Sunday afternoon the crew has been engaged on opening the hatch between Poisk and Progress whereas all different house station operations are continuing as deliberate. “

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

The scent that accompanied the spacecraft is not the one food-related concern currently, with some publications questioning the astronauts’ slim look based mostly on latest pictures.

Dr. JD Polk, NASA’s chief medical officer for well being and security, issued an official assertion saying Williams and Wilmore are doing very properly. “NASA and our companions have safely carried out long-duration missions aboard the Orbiting Laboratory for many years, finding out the consequences of house on the human physique as we put together for exploration additional into the photo voltaic system.” , Polk mentioned. “The well being of the crew is usually monitored by devoted flight surgeons on Earth, and so they observe a person food regimen and health program to make sure they continue to be wholesome all through their expeditions .”

Williams mentioned she weighed the identical as when she reached the house station, in a video interview conducted on November 12 on the ISS.

What do the astronauts say?

The astronauts have been optimistic about their expertise. To a live press conference In September, Williams mentioned that though they knew their mission was solely alleged to final eight days, they’d each “educated for a number of years” for it. They’re totally certified to remain in house for an prolonged time period and to assist pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that can carry them residence subsequent 12 months.

“It’s very peaceable right here,” Williams mentioned on September 13, whereas including that they missed their households on Earth.

Astronauts work on analysis, upkeep and knowledge evaluation throughout their prolonged keep.

“We’re having a good time right here on the ISS,” Williams mentioned during a press conference detained from orbit in July. “I am not complaining. Butch is not complaining about us being right here for just a few additional weeks.”

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

THE Starliner was delayed in Could resulting from an issue with a rocket valve. Engineers then needed to restore a helium leak. That is dangerous information for Boeing. It’s in competition with SpaceXwhat was transport astronauts to the ISS since 2020, making greater than 20 profitable journeys to the house station.

Starliner was lastly launched, atop an Atlas V rocket, on June 5, however some issues arose. NASA introduced that three helium leaks have been recognized, together with one identified earlier than the flight, and two new ones. Along with the leaks, the crew needed to troubleshoot defective management thrusters, though the craft efficiently docked with the ISS.

SpaceX has additionally had failures. A The Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad in 2016. In July of this 12 months, a Falcon 9 rocket skilled a liquid oxygen leak and deployed its satellites into the incorrect orbit, based on the New York Occasions. reported. And in late August, a Falcon 9 rocket misplaced a primary stage booster when it overturned within the Atlantic Ocean and caught fire.

However that mentioned, SpaceX has greater than 300 successes Falcon 9 Flights to his honor.

Caught in Area: A Timeline

• Could: the Starliner launch is delayed resulting from a valve downside within the rocket, then a helium leak.
• June 5: Launch of the Starliner with Williams and Wilmore on board.
• June 6: Starliner docks with the ISS regardless of three helium leaks and defective management thrusters.
• September 6: Starliner leaves the ISS and lands in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore behind.
• September 28: Launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission with Hague and Gorbunov on a Dragon spacecraft.
• September 29: SpaceX Dragon docks with the ISS.
• December 17: NASA declares that the launch of 4 crew members to the ISS can be delayed from February to the tip of March.
• From March 2025: The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will return to Earth with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov.