Sunita Williams is back on Earth!
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth. They are test pilots who flew to the [[International Space Station::A big space station floating in space around the Earth, where astronauts live and work.]] (ISS) on the Boeing Starliner in June 2024. Their trip was planned for 8 days, but they ended up staying in space for nine months.
Their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, had problems. So, they could not return on it. Instead, they came back on another spacecraft called SpaceX Dragon.
Why is their return important?
A Russian astronaut named Valeri Polyakov spent 437 days in space in the 1990s. Several astronauts have stayed longer in space than Williams and Wilmore. But their journey was different because they did not know when they could return home.
Ken Bowersox, a NASA leader, said astronauts are taught to focus on their mission, and not on coming home. Williams and Wilmore did just that.Â
They became full-time workers on the ISS. They did science experiments, fixed machines, and walked in space. Sunita Williams now has the spacewalk">record for the most spacewalk time by a woman.
What happens to the body in space?
Space changes the body. In low [[gravity::The force that pulls one object towards another. The earth also has gravity - this is why you don't float away into space.]], muscles and bones become weak. The muscles in the back, neck, and legs lose strength. Bones get weaker, so they can break more easily and take longer to heal.
Blood does not flow the same way in space. It can stay in the head and cause eye problems. Space can also change the brain, skin, [[immune system::Organs in our body that help fight against diseases.]], and genes.
Let’s welcome Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore home and wish them a good recovery on Earth!
Quick Revision
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore went to the International Space Station for 8 days but stayed 9 months because their Boeing Starliner had problems.
They safely returned to Earth in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
They worked on experiments and spacewalks. Sunita set a spacewalk record for women.
Space makes muscles and bones weak, so they now need rest and recovery.
