Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been in space for over 100 days, recently held a press conference from the International Space Station (ISS) alongside fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore. The conference took place at 12:15 AM IST on Friday night, where both astronauts addressed various questions, including their plans to vote in the upcoming U.S. elections from space.
Voting from Space
When asked about how they would vote from space, Butch Wilmore mentioned that the voting process had already started for them, calling it an essential civic duty. NASA is currently working on the procedure that will allow them to cast their votes from space. Sunita expressed her excitement about participating in the elections despite being far from Earth.
Both astronauts have requested NASA to arrange for postal ballots so that they can vote while stationed 400 kilometers away from Earth on the ISS.
Extended Stay in Space
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched for the space station on June 5 and arrived at the ISS on June 6. Originally, their mission was scheduled to end on June 13, but due to technical issues with NASA’s Boeing Starliner spacecraft, their return was delayed. Now, their return is expected sometime in 2025.
Boeing Starliner Returns to Earth
The spacecraft that had carried Sunita and Butch to the space station successfully returned to Earth on September 7, three months after their arrival. It landed safely with the help of three large parachutes and airbags. According to NASA, the spacecraft detached from the ISS at 3:30 AM IST on Saturday and took approximately six hours to reach Earth, landing in the White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico.
The Boeing Starliner, built by Boeing for NASA, had faced technical difficulties, including a helium gas leak. Despite concerns about its safe return, the spacecraft landed without any major issues.
