What was originally an eight-day mission has now extended to over two months, with the earliest possible departure being February 2025.
Although they reportedly have sufficient supplies on the space station, let's explore how the astronauts will manage their extended stay.
Space facilities.
The International Space Station spans 356 feet, roughly the length of an American football field. It features six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a bay window offering a 360-degree view. Along with Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, seven other astronauts are currently aboard.
The space station is equipped with oxygen-generating systems that can recover about 50% of the oxygen from exhaled carbon dioxide. It also has a recycling system that converts urine and moisture from sweat into drinkable water.
Astronauts have access to dehydrated and ready-to-eat meals, prepared at NASA's Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston.
In a video on NASA's YouTube channel, Sunita Williams shares that her favorite snack on the station is a jar of Nutter Butter spread, which was sent by her family.
Their last supply shipment arrived on August 6, after being launched from Kazakhstan on May 30. The crew members can even place specific orders with Mission Control. On August 6, Williams and Wilmore finally received their own clothing at the space station.
In a 2012 video, Sunita Williams also demonstrated the space station's toilet system, which uses separate suction pipes for urine and feces.
Although sleeping is possible on any flat surface in space, astronauts have small, phone-booth-sized pods equipped with sleeping bags and a pillow.
Williams and Wilmore's Current Situation
In their only press conference held in July, after arriving at the space station, the two astronauts reassured the public that they were staying busy with repairs and research. They also expressed confidence in Starliner's testing.
Sunita Williams expressed her confidence, saying, "I feel very positive that the spacecraft will bring us home without any issues."
Barry Wilmore shared a similar sentiment, stating, "We trust that the tests we're conducting are the ones necessary to provide us with the data we need to ensure a safe return.”
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