ISRO Says, NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Situation is A Lesson for Gaganyaan Mission

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has said that the challenges faced by US space agency NASA’s astronaut Sunita Williams will be important lessons for the country’s Gaganyaan mission. Williams and another astronaut Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space for more than two months. Boeing’s Starliner is facing difficulty in undocking from the International Space Station (ISS). Due to this, these astronauts are not able to return to Earth.

ISRO chief, S Somanath, said in a media interview that this situation is an important learning for the Gaganyaan mission. The first test flight of this human rated rocket may take place later this year. Somanath said that NASA by understanding the challenges faced by ISRO This will help the Gaganyaan mission prepare for its mission. The aim of the Gaganyaan mission is to ensure that it is prepared to deal with various contingencies of spacecraft and procedures.

However, Somnath said that Williams’ condition is being described in the media as being stuck in space, whereas it is a matter of extending her stay in space rather than being unable to return. Due to the problem in Starliner, NASA had sought help from SpaceX but the challenge has increased due to the lack of compatibility between Boeing’s spacesuit and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. An experienced astronaut, Williams has faced the situation of extending the stay in space missions before. Therefore, she has experience in dealing with such a situation.

It is important to be prepared for unexpected technical problems for the Gaganyaan mission. This mission has been designed in such a way that it can achieve success in the first attempt itself. ISRO is being very cautious about its preparation. In the Gaganyaan mission, a three-member crew will be sent to an orbit of 400 kilometers for three days and after that they will be brought safely to Earth. ISRO has increased testing and demonstration for this. Last year, ISRO successfully completed the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The country has increased expertise in space related missions.