NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore to address public from space after extended ISS stay
Washington: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to make their first public appearance since the announcement of their extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Earth-to-space call is scheduled for 11:45 PM IST tonight, where the duo will share updates on their mission.
Williams and Wilmore were launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, for what was originally an eight-day mission. However, technical issues with the Starliner prompted NASA to bring the spacecraft back to Earth without its crew, resulting in an unexpected extension of the astronauts’ stay on the ISS until February 2025.
During the live conference, the astronauts are expected to discuss their ongoing scientific research, life aboard the space station, and their experiences throughout this extended mission. The call presents a rare opportunity for the public to hear firsthand about their work and well-being during their prolonged time in space.
In a notable development, the ISS crew recently expanded with the arrival of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner. The new team members will work alongside Williams and Wilmore until spring 2025, contributing to the station’s scientific endeavors.
Health monitoring remains a critical activity for the crew. Williams and Wilmore recently underwent thorough eye examinations using standard medical imaging technology, with support from ground teams monitoring the procedures in real-time. In addition to health checks, the astronauts have been actively engaged in various scientific tasks onboard the orbiting laboratory.
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Railway lines as fence could cut cost of barricading to curb man-elephant conflicts: MP Wadiyar
Bengaluru, Sept 17: MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has suggested that to bring down the exorbitant cost barricading – estimated to cost around Rs 1.3 to Rs 1.5 crore per kilometre – railway lines could be used to construct fences on Tuesday.
Wadiyar took to X to share the letter he had sent to Union Environment Forest & Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
Stating that “railway (lines) barricading” is proving to be an effective way to restrict the movement of elephants, he suggested that this should be taken up on a large scale.
“Upon consultation with the relevant authorities, it has come to my understanding that the cost of barricading per kilometre comes to Rs 1.3 crore to Rs 1.5 crore. Given that the border of the forests in my constituency stretches to over 400 km, with around 280 km of forest border requiring immediate barricading, the cost of such an exercise will reach Rs 350 crore to Rs 400 crore,” he wrote in his letter.
He said the environment ministry could make a direct request with the railway ministry for an allocation of railway lines, thus reducing the cost of the project to just that of labour cost.
“The benefits of this initiative are manifold, from reduction of human casualties, protection of property and livelihood, to conservation of elephants and, most importantly, promoting human-elephant coexistence, which is the need of the hour,” he added.
Working towards safer coexistence in Mysore-Kodagu! Submitted proposal to Union Environment Forest & Climate change Minister Shri Bhupendra Yadav Ji for railway barricading to reduce elephant-human conflicts. pic.twitter.com/VjOWIF1TTC
— Yaduveer Wadiyar (@yaduveerwadiyar) September 17, 2024
