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 American space agency NASA astronaut Sunita Williams will be an important lesson 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 having difficulty decoupling from the International Space Station (ISS). Because of 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 lesson for the Gaganyaan mission. The first test flight of this human rated rocket may take place at the end of this year. Somnath said that by understanding the challenges facing NASA, ISRO Will get help in preparing for their mission. The Gaganyaan mission aims to ensure that the spacecraft and procedures are prepared to deal with various emergency situations.

However, Somnath said that Williams’ condition is being described in the media as being stuck in space, whereas it is a matter of increasing his presence 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 lack of compatibility between Boeing’s spacesuit and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Williams, an experienced astronaut, has faced the situation of extending the stay in space missions before. Because of this he has experience in dealing with such situations.

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 will be successful in the first attempt itself. ISRO is taking great care regarding its preparation. In the Gaganyaan mission, a three-member crew will be sent to a 400 km orbit for three days and after that they will be safely brought back to Earth. ISRO has increased testing and demonstration for this. Last year ISRO had successfully completed Chandrayaan-3 mission. The country has increased expertise in space-related missions.