Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somnath on Sunday made an important revelation that highlights the challenges faced by Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams in space. Somnath said Sunita Williams has been in space for the last six months and her team has encountered some unexpected technical issues that need to be deal with.
Helium gas leak and thruster problem:
The ISRO chief said that the thrusters of the spacecraft were not working properly and helium gas was also leaking. Due to the severity of the situation, the progress of the mission was hammered. “We found that helium gas was leaking, and the thrusters were also not working as expected,” he said. This could also pose a threat to the return of the spacecraft.”
First flight of Boeing’s new spacecraft:
The problem came to light when Sunita Williams and her fellow commander Barry Wilmore were part of the first manned mission of a new Boeing spacecraft. The spacecraft was on its first flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and faced several technical difficulties during the mission. “Before the journey, there were some problems while preparing this spacecraft for the mission,”” Somnath said.” Docking was completed successfully, but an evaluation of the state of the spacecraft revealed several anomalies.”
Question on the safety of the mission:
Boeing has asked for more time to make conditions safer for the return of the mission. Somnath said the US authority agency and Boeing are doing all the necessary simulations and tests to ensure the safety of this mission. “This is the first flight of any spacecraft, so they can take a very cautious stance before moving on,”” he added.”
Modworking and return of the spacecraft:
Somnath emphasized that the functioning of the spacecraft is extremely important during the retreat. This includes control systems, thermal protection systems, and other critical systems. These systems ensure that spacecraft and astronauts on board can return safely to Earth.
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