Sunita Williams is testing ways to water plants in space, but when will she be back?

‘How do plants absorb water in microgravity?’

Indian-origin Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who launched to space on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on July 5, “are continuing to explore ways to effectively water plants in weightless environments”, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) said on Wednesday.

Two NASA astronauts took turns in the “Harmony Module” testing how different sizes of root models and plants absorb water in microgravity.

Harmony is a utility center, providing air, power, water and other systems needed to sustain life on the station. NASA states that it also provides international docking adapters for commercial crew vehicles at its space-facing and forward ports.

Earlier, a NASA press release on July 16 said that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams spent most of their time in the weightless environment of microgravity testing ways to water plants growing without soil.

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“Williams first installed plant water management hardware in the Harmony module, then tested a variety of fluid flow methods while video recording the results. Following his work, Wilmore conducted more tests using hydroponics and air circulation techniques to learn how to effectively nurture a variety of plants on spacecraft and in space habitats,” NASA said.

vein scan

Earlier, NASA shared an update on July 15, reporting that Starliner pilot Sunita Williams and commander Butch Wilmore had participated in vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device.

As part of the research, NASA astronauts took turns imaging each other’s neck, shoulder and leg veins while doctors on the ground monitored the process in real time.

“Next, Wilmore scanned the veins of NASA flight engineer Matthew Dominick, helping researchers better understand how microgravity affects the human body,” NASA said.

Meanwhile, Sunita Williams worked on two separate studies. Her initial research focused on manufacturing high-quality optical fibers in microgravity.

Williams then also investigated “using fluid physics such as surface tension to overcome the lack of gravity when watering and nourishing plants grown in space”.

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emergency exercise

According to a July 12 update from NASA, the seven-member Expedition 71 crew participated with two NASA Starliner astronauts to practice emergency drills in collaboration with mission controllers.

As part of the exercise, teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical spill or fire on the space station.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also completed a life-support task, “filling the temperature loop in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system with water”.

What else are NASA Starliner astronauts doing?

Wilmore and Williams reviewed procedures for using the fluid systems servicer, which is tasked with draining, purging and recirculating fluids on systems on the space station. This likely happened on July 10.

A day later, two NASA Starliner astronauts took turns pedaling on an exercise bicycle in the morning while hooked up to heart and breathing sensors “that measured their aerobic capacity.”

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“The two then split up as Wilmore worked on repairs to two research freezers that preserve scientific samples, and Williams installed hardware for an experiment that explores atmospheric re-entry and thermal preservation systems,” NASA said.

When will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth?

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are crew members of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Mission. They should have returned several weeks ago. Their test flight was supposed to last eight days, ending on June 14.

However, a helium leak and thruster failures nearly derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, and they had to stay there much longer than planned.

They could now return by the end of July, NASA’s commercial crew program director Steve Stich said in a press conference last week. “Our goal is to have them back before SpaceX sends up a new crew in mid-August, but that could change,” he added.

Both astronauts said they look forward to returning to Earth after the thruster tests are complete. They said they are not complaining about the extra time in orbit, and are enjoying helping the station crew.

“I have a good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft will get us home, no problems,” Williams told reporters.

Boeing’s Mark Nappe stressed that in an emergency, Starliner and its crew could return right away. Although the company believes the thrusters are not damaged, “we want to fill in the blanks and do this test to reassure ourselves.”

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Published: July 18, 2024, 09:07 PM IST