Sunita Williams contracted serious disease in space

There is no fixed date yet as to when Indian-origin American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). All kinds of speculations are being made, but in the meantime the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is grappling with a new problem and that is regarding the health of Sunita Williams.

Williams is reportedly facing vision-related problems in the space station, due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. This problem, known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), affects fluid distribution in the body, causing problems in eyesight. This causes blurriness and changes in the structure of the eyes. Scans of Williams’ cornea, retina and lens have been done recently to assess the severity of her condition.

Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore are currently stationed on the ISS. As per the plan, their return from space was to be on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but this return got stuck due to technical fault. It is being told that the agency is considering an option. It can use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts back home.

According to the information, the Crew Dragon mission scheduled for September 2024 could potentially pave the way for Williams and Wilmore’s return from space. If this happens, the time of stay of both the passengers in space will increase further. Initially the time was increased by eight days, but now it will gradually increase to eight months. Crew Dragon will return to Earth in February 2025 and if this plan works properly, Boeing’s Starliner will return without a crew, which will be completely controlled by computer.

Switching to SpaceX’s spacecraft will prove to be a big setback for Boeing as Boeing is facing criticism. Its project has been delayed and is also going to be very expensive. The aerospace giant is facing many technical problems. If NASA chooses SpaceX, the company’s reputation is at risk of being further damaged. One of the biggest challenges NASA faces is spacesuits. The suits designed for Boeing’s Starliner are not suitable for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. This means that if astronauts return on Dragon, they may have to do so without their suits, raising safety concerns. NASA is working to resolve these issues and has also considered sending additional SpaceX flight suits with the Crew-9 Dragon mission.