How NASA astronauts who face being stuck in space until 2025 are keeping busy amid concerns for their return
The two NASA astronauts who could remain stuck in space until 2025 have revealed what they are doing to keep busy.
On 5 June, astronauts Barry Wilmore, 61, and Sunita Williams, 58, left Earth for what they expected to be an eight day trip into space as the first test pilots of new Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
However their mission would not go to plan, with the two astronauts finding themselves stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) ever since.
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NASA is currently examining various options on how they can bring Wilmore and Williams safely back to earth, with a return onboard SpaceX's Crew-9 currently being eyed-up as an option.
However, the Crew-9 won't be able to bring the pair back to Earth until February 2025, which means Wilmore and Williams could have a long wait on the ISS ahead of them.
So how do two astronauts who only expected to be in space for eight days keep themselves occupied?
Spending an extended period of time cooped up inside the ISS with nothing to do other than twiddle your thumbs sounds like enough to drive the most patient of person crazy, which is why the pair have wasted no time in integrating themselves into daily life over 250 miles away from planet Earth.
Speaking during an interview with reporters, the pair explained that they were filling their days by conducting science experiments, cleaning toilets and taking part in a 'zero gravity' version of the Olympics, as per The Daily Mail.
"We've been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew," Williams said in the interview.
"It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up with the ISS team. So yeah, it's great to be up here."
Spending an extended period of time in the zero gravity conditions of space isn't something that's too out of the ordinary for Williams, as she previously served a total of 10 months during two missions which occurred in 2006 and 2012.
"Best week ever," she tweeted on 11 June. "So happy to be back in space and on (ISS). The ride was amazing, and being here with friends is just awesome."
Williams and Wilmore's positive outlook on their newfound home will work out well for the pair, as there's currently no guarantee they'll be able to come home onboard the Crew-9.
"We have been working with SpaceX to ensure they are ready to respond with Crew-9 as a contingency," NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said yesterday (7 August).
"We have not formally committed to this path, but we wanted to ensure we had all that flexibility in place.
"Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner. However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open."
Brenna Cooper