NASA Has Extended Sunita Williams's Stay at ISS: Here's Why
In a significant update to her historic space mission, Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams will be extending her stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) until June 18. This extension, which includes her crewmate Butch Wilmore, is not linked to the recently reported discovery of a 'superbug' on the space station. Instead, it is driven by NASA’s need to conduct additional evaluations of Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft, which transported the astronauts to the ISS on June 5. Sunita Williams made history by becoming the first woman to pilot a new spacecraft on its inaugural crewed mission. Originally, she and Wilmore were scheduled to return to Earth on June 10 after a week-long stay. However, NASA has decided to capitalize on their presence by using the extra time to thoroughly test and validate the systems of the Starliner capsule. This is a crucial step in certifying the spacecraft for regular crewed flights to the ISS. NASA officials highli...
