Astronauts Stay Busy on International Space Station Awaiting Flight Home

01Two American astronauts awaiting their return flight from the International Space Station, ISS, have stayed busy carrying out a series of scientific experiments.

02The U.S.

03space agency, NASA, has said the pair, Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams, will remain at the ISS until late March or early April.

04When they arrived at the orbiting laboratory in June 2024, the astronauts expected to stay in space for just one week.

05Their trip was a test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

06While Starliner safely transported the two to the ISS, the spacecraft had several problems that persuaded NASA to send it back to Earth for further testing without the astronauts on board.

07NASA's current plan calls for Wilmore and Williams to fly back on a SpaceX spacecraft in late March at the earliest.

08NASA has been using SpaceX's Crew Dragon to regularly carry astronauts and supplies to the ISS since 2020.

09The astronauts have been using their extended mission to carry out experiments.

10In addition, Williams stepped out of the space station earlier this month to complete a spacewalk.

11Another NASA astronaut, Nick Haig, joined Williams on the spacewalk on January 16, the agency said in a statement.

12The two repaired a piece of equipment that helps guide the movements of the ISS.

13The spacewalk also included work on an X-ray telescope as well as maintenance activities for other ISS systems.

14NASA noted it was the fourth spacewalk for Haig and the eighth for Williams.

15The space agency said Williams was preparing for another spacewalk planned for January 30.

16Wilmore is expected to join Williams on that spacewalk, which NASA estimates will last about six and a half hours.

17The two will be aiming to remove a radio antenna structure.

18They will also be searching for microbes around the ISS for use in experiments.

19Here is a look at other experiments Wilmore and Williams have completed during their stay.

20NASA said Wilmore and Williams have tested different methods for growing crops in space.

21Such methods could support humans who have longer stays in space in the future.

22One experiment is called the Plant Water Management Investigation.

23NASA said this experiment uses the physical properties of fluids to overcome the lack of gravity and provide hydration to plants.

24The experiment aims to help NASA develop hydroponic systems to support future space missions.

25Another experiment examines a new way to grow vegetables, plants, and flowers inside the ISS to provide nutrition and beauty.

26As part of this experiment, Wilmore installed a new light meter inside the ISS.

27The device is designed to measure available light and to help crew members improve growing operations.

28NASA also said that throughout the current mission, Williams had deployed and observed three free-flying robots called Astro-B.

29This robotic experiment seeks to examine how such robots could assist astronauts with daily duties and maintenance work.

30The agency said the square-shaped robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test new robotic technologies for use in microgravity environments.

31The assistants are also designed to help astronauts with daily tasks and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station.

32Williams tested the robot's ability to map the inside of the space station and Astro-B's flight abilities.

33NASA astronauts visiting the ISS have a long history of capturing images of Earth from space, and this is another activity Wilmore and Williams have carried out.

34The ISS gives astronauts a window to the world as they orbit 400 kilometers above their home planet.

35During their mission, NASA said the two astronauts had captured hundreds of photographs of Earth ranging from auroras, land, sea, orbital sunrises and sunsets, and more.

36Another space station tradition is for U.S.

37astronauts to connect with students and other interested individuals during their stay in space.

38They have virtual visits with people back on Earth who can ask the astronauts how it feels to live in space and can learn about NASA's experiments aboard the ISS.

39In early August, Williams used ham radio technology to connect with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

40NASA explained that students get the chance to communicate with the astronauts when the ISS passes overhead.

41The students can ask about research on the ISS as well as the radio wave technology that makes the communication possible.

42I'm Brian Lynn.

43I'm Brian Lynn.

44I'm Brian Lynn.

45I'm Brian Lynn.