Sunita Williams Stuck in Space: New Challenges for NASA as Russian Satellite Breaks into 100 Pieces Near ISS

In the midst of uncertainty surrounding Sunita Williams’ return from space, NASA has provided an update about the International Space Station (ISS), where the India-born astronaut is currently residing. Recently, astronauts on the ISS had to take shelter for about an hour after a defunct Russian satellite shattered into over 100 pieces near the station.

According to LeoLabs, the debris from the broken Russian satellite will pose a risk for an extended period, potentially lasting weeks to months before the danger subsides. “Due to the low orbit of this debris cloud, we estimate it’ll be weeks to months before the hazard has passed,” Reuters quoted LeoLabs.

The Russian satellite, RESURS-P1 (#39186), disintegrated into hundreds of fragments in low-Earth orbit on Wednesday. Although there is no immediate threat to the ISS astronauts, the incident has contributed to the growing problem of space debris. The US Space Command reported that the explosion resulted in nearly 100 pieces of trackable debris.

Impact on Sunita Williams’ Return?

The satellite broke apart around 10 am Mountain Time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, as reported by Space Command. The incident occurred in an orbit close to the space station, prompting all astronauts on board, including Sunita Williams, to take shelter in their spacecraft for about an hour.

So far, neither NASA nor any other agency involved with Sunita Williams’ Boeing Starliner program has officially commented on how this incident might affect her return to Earth.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are currently aboard their Starliner spacecraft, a Boeing-built capsule that has been docked at the ISS since June 6 for its first crewed test mission.

Possible Delay in Sunita Williams’ Return to Earth

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s mission was initially planned to last only a few days. However, their return flight on the Boeing Starliner is now expected to be delayed for several months, according to ANI.

The first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to last only a few days, is now in limbo with no confirmed return date. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, mentioned that the US space agency is considering extending the Starliner mission from 45 days to 90 days, as reported by CNN.

On Friday, Stich stated that NASA is contemplating extending the maximum duration of the Starliner mission from 45 days to 90 days, with no firm return date in sight. During a briefing, he said, “We’re just looking at the timeline to execute (the test in New Mexico) and then review the data.” He added, “And that’s what’s really the long pole, I would say, determining a landing date.” Stich also noted, “We’re not in a rush to come home.”

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