Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Astronaut Sunita Williams, alongside Barry Wilmore, remains aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to ongoing delays in the return of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, following their June 7 arrival for the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission.
Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, the astronauts’ return to Earth has been indefinitely postponed amid technical issues, including multiple helium leaks detected on the Starliner.
Boeing, venturing into commercial human-space transport with Starliner, faces scrutiny for quality control lapses, amidst allegations of substandard technology impacting mission readiness.
Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-born American astronaut, tragically perished aboard NASA’s space shuttle Columbia in 2003, drawing parallels to Sunita Williams’ current predicament.
Credit : Wikimedia Commons
Chawla’s journey began in 1997, becoming the first Indian-born woman in space, and later serving on STS-107 in 2003, dedicated to microgravity experiments aboard Columbia.
Credit : Wikimedia Commons
The STS-107 mission ended in disaster when Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members, including Chawla.
Credit : NASA
NASA’s investigation revealed that damage to Columbia’s heat shielding during launch led to fatal structural failure during re-entry, exposing crew members to lethal atmospheric conditions. Similarly, the Starliner encountered its own issue during the launch, which persisted as the spacecraft proceeded to dock in space.
The Columbia tragedy prompted NASA to enhance emergency response protocols, redesign spacecraft components, and improve astronaut training for catastrophic scenarios.
Credit : NASA
Williams’ prolonged stay on the ISS underscores the risks and challenges of space exploration, echoing the resilience and sacrifices of astronauts like Kalpana Chawla, whose legacy continues to inspire.
The parallels between Sunita Williams’ current space mission and Kalpana Chawla’s poignant journey serve as a poignant reminder of the profound risks and enduring spirit of human exploration beyond Earth’s atmosphere.