Even the most meticulously planned space missions are prone to various obstacles and schedule changes. Right now, two US astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, are waiting for SpaceX Dragon Crew-9 to take them home after a long stay at the ISS.
Their flight was delayed for eight months due to technical issues and is expected to happen in February 2025. People stuck in space before and some of them even witnessed historical events from an unusual vantage point.
10 Months in Space
For one person the Mir space station stay appeared remarkably dramatic. Not only had the astronaut landed on a whole new world but he even managed to perform a time-traveling leap never seen before. So, who was the forgotten astronaut left in space?
Sergei Krikalev’s story is an example of some unforeseen challenges one may face in space exploration. And they may not even happen in space. The astronaut spent 10 months at the station while the Soyuz TM-12 mission was only scheduled for 144 days. The reason his return was delayed didn’t originate from technical issues; certain events on Earth caused the hindrance. Krikalev’s timely return was affected by the lack of funding due to the Soviet Union crash, and for a while, the astronaut had experienced a strained connection to the operational centre.
10 months spent in space were challenging to overcome both physically and mentally even for an astronaut that experienced. As space new resource Orbital Today explains, his time in space sums up to an impressive 803 days, and Sergei Krikalev’s time travel is a known phenomenon. Due to the significant period he spent at high velocities, the combined time dilation caused him to appear 0.02 seconds younger than he would have been if he had never left the planet.
Frank Rubio: The Record-Breaking ISS Experience
Another astronaut had a prolonged space mission due to some technical issues on a Russian spaceship he arrived at the ISS on. Frank Rubio had accidentally broken the record for the longest stay by an American, with a streak of more than one year of continuous residence. But why was Frank Rubio stuck in space?
The problem occurred due to space junk colliding with the Soyuz ship which led to coolant leakage, hence unusable vehicle conditions for further exploitation. The cause itself deserves more attention as space junk threatens to become a significant issue for future space missions and should be considered an urgent problem to solve. With all the hardships astronauts endure due to unexpectedly long missions, there is a necessity to get rid of floating remnants in orbit to protect crews and spacecraft from possible damage.
What did Frank Rubio do in space while waiting to be brought back to Earth? His tusk was to conduct some scientific experiments, including hydroponic tomatoes growing in a microgravity environment. He also performed spacewalks three times and researched graphene aerogel synthesizing. Although Frank Rubio stuck in space was impressively productive, the consequences of spending a year in such conditions left him unable to walk upon arrival.
What’s at Stake?
Space exploration is a risky business and those involved are well aware and mostly prepared. However, physical damage to spacecraft is not the main and only concern. Astronauts suffer severe effects of long missions including loss of muscle and bone mass, space anaemia, balance and eyesight disorders, cardiovascular issues, and more. Psychological effects are to be mentioned separately, as ISS conditions contribute to more than enough stress of not being on solid ground. However well-trained, astronauts need recovery periods even after short missions.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Are to Return in February
Being initially scheduled for eight days, Williams and Wilmore’s mission is already several months longer. Though the period which is about to end in February doesn’t seem that significant compared to other experiences, NASA is determined to ensure their safety and comfort. The agency doesn’t consider the mission a mishap. So far, the situation seems controllable and to be resolved pretty soon.
Wrapping Up
Nightmare fuel for most of us, the possibility to stuck in space for an unknown period of time is a life experience for many astronauts who’ve managed to live through it and continue with their careers. However, the occurrence is better to avoid as a long-time ISS residence leads to numerous physical and psychological effects that are hard to overcome. With ever-evolving space technologies, there’s hope we’ll see less news of astronauts stuck in space from now on.
Author: Emma Thorpe