As NASA astronaut Sunita Williams gets ready to come back to Earth after more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), her cousin in India has posted serious concerns regarding her health. Dinesh Rawal, the cousin of Williams, was concerned about her health, hoping she would come back safely after a long stint in space.
“I may seem happy, but I am scared,” Rawal told news agency PTI. He stressed their close relationship and reminisced about their childhood memories. “We want her to come back to earth as soon as possible. I may seem happy, but I am scared, we just want her to be back on earth and in sound health.”
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Extended Mission of Sunita Williams and Health Concerns
Sunita Williams, with her fellow crew member Barry “Butch” Wilmore, has been living on the ISS for more than nine months, a much longer duration than had been intended by the initial short-duration test flight. Their mission was delayed after several technical glitches, including several failures, involving the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. These included problems with helium and propulsion.
Experts have been concerned about the physical effects of long-duration space missions, such as muscle wasting, bone loss, and cardiovascular alterations. The extended exposure to microgravity might result in dramatic body changes for both astronauts when they return.
NASA has affirmed that Williams and Wilmore will be back on Tuesday, March 18, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They will have a Russian cosmonaut, Aleksandr Gorbunov, along with them on their way back home and will splash down off the coast of Florida.
Childhood Memories and Family Support
As they waited impatiently for Williams to arrive back, Rawal went down memory lane remembering their childhood days together. “When she was small, she came here, I used to take her for camel rides, she would not get off the camel. We did pilgrimage to Somnath, we also went on trips to various places in India. I attended her marriage in Boston.”
Rawal also explained how Williams felt comforted by his presence after her father’s death. “She has been courageous since she was small. After the death of my uncle, she would frequently hold my hand, I was curious to know why, she said it felt like her father. We never got apart,” he added.
With her record-breaking space flight coming to an end, Williams’ family holds on to hope for a smooth and safe return to Earth. NASA has promised that the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is in perfect working condition and ready to transport the astronauts back home.
The world waits as Williams’ family in India holds their breath for the day she touches the ground on Earth again, as another milestone in her remarkable space career comes to a close.
