Only 96 hours’ oxygen left: NASA’s Sunita Williams can end up stuck in space forever; Details here
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, scheduled to return from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's Starliner, are facing significant risks due to potential complications with the spacecraft's re-entry process. Concerns have been raised about the safety of their return journey, which was initially planned for a week after the launch on June 5, 2024. Initially scheduled to return in 8 days, it has been delayed by over 2 months now due to technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft.
Key issues involve the possibility of the spacecraft failing to properly re-enter Earth's atmosphere. If the re-entry angle is too steep, the Starliner could burn up due to a malfunction in its heat shield. On the other hand, if the spacecraft is unable to re-enter at all, the astronauts could be left orbiting the Earth indefinitely, with only 96 hours of oxygen supply remaining.
NASA is now grappling with the difficult decision of whether to proceed with the return using the potentially faulty Starliner or to rely on SpaceX's Crew Dragon for a rescue mission. If SpaceX is called upon, Boeing's inaugural human spaceflight would inadvertently turn into an unscheduled rescue operation, further complicating the situation.
Former U.S. military space systems commander Rudy Ridolfi has highlighted three critical risks associated with the Starliner’s re-entry: poor alignment of the spacecraft's service module, insufficient oxygen supply in case of being stranded, and the potential for vaporization during re-entry due to heat shield failure.
Adding to the urgency, reports indicate that astronaut Sunita Williams may be experiencing health issues, including vision problems, which could further complicate NASA’s decision-making process. As NASA assesses these risks, the situation underscores the high stakes involved in human spaceflight and the critical need for reliable spacecraft systems.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
