Janice R. Andrews
In a surprising turn of events, NASA has said that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 240 days in a row. This choice is part of a plan to bring the crew home no earlier than February 2025, which means their mission will last a lot longer than the eight-day trip that was originally planned. The crew’s long stay is interesting, but it doesn’t set a new record for the longest time spent in space. However, it does show how hard and risky space flight can be.
The original plan and an unexpected add-on
Wilmore and Williams were sent to the ISS on June 5, 2024, on Boeing’s Starliner spaceship. They planned to come back to Earth after a short journey. But because of unresolved technical issues with the Starliner, such as hydrogen leaks and issues with its thrusters, NASA has chosen that the ship will return to Earth in September 2024 without any people on board. Because of this, Wilmore and Williams will have to wait for a SpaceX ship to take them back home. They won’t be able to get back until at least February 2025.
Because of this delay, the scientists will have to stay on the ISS for at least eight months. This will make their total time in space 240 days. If they have to wait until March to come back, their mission could last for almost 270 days. Even though eight months seems like a long time, it has happened before in the history of space travel.
Taking a Look at Space Records
Frank Rubio, an American astronaut, spent 371 days on the ISS from September 2022 to September 2023. This is the longest time that an American has ever spent in space in a row. Rubio’s mission was only meant to last six months at first, but it was extended when a meteoroid or other piece of space junk damaged the Russian Soyuz rocket that was supposed to bring him back to Earth. Because of this event, Rubio and the Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin had to stay in space until a new ship could be sent.
Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov set a new record by staying on the Mir space station for 437 days in a row, from January 1994 to March 1995. Rubio’s record is now broken. Polyakov’s trip was the longest ongoing space flight in history. It was part of a study to find out how long-term space travel affects people’s health.
What Long-Term Space Missions Do to People’s Health
Long stays in space, like the one Wilmore and Williams are about to go through, come with some risks. When astronauts stay in microgravity for long periods of time, their bodies go through a number of changes. The NASA twin study, which compared astronaut Scott Kelly’s health during his 340-day trip to that of his identical twin Mark Kelly, who stayed on Earth, brought some of these changes to light.
The study discovered that being in space for a long time can change gene expression, body weight, and the bacteria in the gut. Astronauts may also lose muscle and bone mass, have trouble seeing, have a weakened immune system, and have a higher risk of blood clots and inflammation. Most of these changes can be undone when the astronauts come back to Earth, but they show how hard it is to be in space for a long time.
Things to Think About for Mental Health
Long-term separation and confinement can have effects on pilots’ mental health as well as their physical health. Astronauts like Wilmore and Williams do routine tasks and science studies on the ISS. However, the lack of variety and companionship can make them feel bored and alone. NASA has been looking into these effects on people’s minds to get ready for longer trips in the future, like those to Mars.
Having Wilmore and Williams’ mission last at least 240 days longer is a big deal, but it’s not a record-breaking stay. Still, their time in space will be shorter than that of Frank Rubio and Valeri Polyakov, who have been there for more than a year. Despite this, their longer trip shows how unpredictable space travel is and how strong people need to be who go beyond Earth.
Being careful is very important in space travel, as shown by NASA’s choice to put the humans’ safety first by choosing a reliable return ship. Wilmore and Williams’ job on the ISS continues. They help us learn more about the effects of long-term space travel, which opens the door for missions that may last even longer in the future.
