What happens to astronauts on an extended stay in space

In Focus by The Hindu

On June 5 this year, when NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams flew the Boeing Starliner crew capsule to the International Space Station, they expected to be back within about eight days. Now however, these seasoned astronauts will remain in space for eight months – until February 2025. What happened? Their capsule which on its first flight with a human crew was not deemed safe enough to bring them back after helium leaks and other malfunctions developed. Eventually, the Starliner capsule returned to Earth without its crew. Barry and Sunita are now scheduled to return in a SpaceX crew capsule next year.

So what happened to the Boeing Starliner? Who is on the ISS now, and is there enough space and adequate supplies for all of them? What happens to the bodies of astronauts who stay in space for extended durations and how does it affect their health? When will the ISS be decommissioned and will India be part of the next, new ISS?

Guest: T.V. Venkateswaran is a science communicator and visiting faculty member at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Jude Francis Weston