New Delhi, March 19 As Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams along with colleague Butch Wilmore landed safely from space after nine long months, experts on Wednesday hailed their journey as a celebration of science and technology.
Williams and Wilmore became the first to travel on Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft in June last year. What began as an eight-day trip, lasted 286 days in space.
After several delays, the astronaut duo reached Earth early this morning, aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.
"Everything went well and now they are back and I think it's in celebration of science and technology and how they conquered lots of challenges while in space," Dr P.K. Ghosh, Space strategist, told IANS.
Calling it "a big achievement", Ghosh said that behind each flight from space "hundred and thousand people are working".
"An unforgettable moment! The safe return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, symbolises human resilience, teamwork, and the spirit of exploration," said scientist Narottam Sahoo, an Advisor at the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, in a post on X.
"This remarkable journey highlights how science, precision, and teamwork make space exploration possible.
"Every mission inspires us, proving that with determination and innovation, even the most challenging journeys can end with a safe landing," he said.
Meanwhile, Ghosh noted the risks and challenges involved during the landing of a spacecraft.
"The angle of descent is very important. If the angle is less than what the spacecraft can negotiate, it will go somewhere else," Ghosh said.
"If it comes sharply down, the spacecraft can even break. So, it must be absolutely correct," he added
Further, Ghosh mentioned that "when the spacecraft comes to the Earth in the atmosphere, there is intense friction because of the temperature outside".
In addition, the speed of the spacecraft must also be reduced to ensure a safe splashdown, he noted.
On being asked why SpaceX's Dragon took 17 hours to return to Earth, he stated that the "actual journey time between Earth and the International Space Station is just 55 minutes".
But it takes 17 hours for spacecraft checks and the final go-ahead from Earth station, Ghosh told IANS.
The nine-month-long stay of Williams and Wilmore at ISS had raised concerns about their well-being, given that the overstay was unpredicted.
Ghosh said the astronauts are well prepared with "rigorous training". They also undergo blindfold tests.
Being blindfolded "they should be able to point out each and every switch among the hundreds. That is the kind of standard at which they are trained"l he said.
The space strategist also highlighted the health problems that astronauts can face by staying in space.
He said that space affects almost all the parts of the body.
"The heart and the kidney get affected. And the biggest issue is radiation, which also impacts the DNA," Ghosh said.
"You also become taller once you come back to Earth," he added.
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