NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are preparing to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, after completing an impressive nine-month mission in space which was originally intended as a short eight-day test flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission was extended due to unexpected technical challenges with the vehicle.
The Starliner spacecraft, which carried the astronauts to the ISS in June last year as part of its maiden crewed mission, encountered propulsion issues that rendered it unsuitable for their return. This led to a revised plan, integrating Williams and Wilmore into the Crew-9 mission. Now, the astronauts are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, accompanied by two other Crew-9 members.
New York, March 16 (IANS) SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, bringing hope for the return of two NASA astronauts — Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore — who have been stuck in orbit for months.
Sunita William pushes boundaries about ISS retirement
Speaking from aboard the ISS earlier, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams pushed back against SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s call for an early retirement of the iconic space station. “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing,” Williams remarked during a press conference. “We’ve got all the power, all of the facilities up and operating. So I would think that right now is probably not the right time to call it quits.”
Williams emphasised that the ISS remains in good condition and continues to play an essential role in helping scientific research and reaffirmed that it should continue operating till 2030 as agreed upon with the international partners.
She also specified NASA’s and its international partners’ commitment to keeping the ISS operational until at least 2030. “We have probably till 2030 in our agreements. And I think that’s probably really accurate,” she said . “We should make the most of this space station for our taxpayers and for all of our international partners.” Current research aboard the ISS contributes to areas such as medical advancements, materials science, and space technology, impacting not just future missions but also life on Earth.
Musk calls for early decommissioning of ISS
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has talked of an early decommissioning of the ISS, arguing that it has “very little incremental utility.” He shared his views on X (formerly Twitter), where he proposed deorbiting the space station within two years. “It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station. It has served its purpose,” Musk declared. He clarified that while the decision rests with the U.S. government, his recommendation is to prioritise deep-space exploration.
Musk’s stance aligns with SpaceX’s focus on developing the Starship spacecraft, designed for Moon and Mars missions. While he sees the ISS as an aging infrastructure with rising maintenance costs, Williams highlights its value as a hub for global effort and innovation.
