As the first crew to test Boeing's new Starliner, Sunita Williams and Commander Barry Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June. The Starliner experienced thruster failures and helium leaks prior to docking, raising concerns about its safety for the return trip.
Although NASA is thinking of returning the astronauts on a SpaceX flight, Boeing has maintained that the astronauts are not stuck and that "there's no increased risk" in bringing them back in the Starliner.
It was supposed to be their eight-day stay in space, but they've been there for over two months and might have to stay until February.
With the end zones included, the International Space Station is exactly one yard short of being 356 feet (109 meters) long. NASA claims that the living and working area is bigger than a house with six bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree bay window. There are seven astronauts from other missions who share the facilities with Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore, three of whom are Russian and four of whom are fellow Americans.
There are enough reserve supplies up there to last the astronauts a very long time.The space station produces its own oxygen through internal systems, recovering roughly half of the oxygen exhaled from carbon dioxide.Regarding water, the station has a recycling system for urine into drinking water that also collects moisture from crew breath and perspiration released into the cabin air. The food supplies are more upscale. At NASA's Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston, chefs prepare meals with an emphasis on both nutrient content and aesthetic appeal, as per reports.
