By: Nelson Kramer

Humor Editor

On Mar. 18, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after an extended stay in the International Space Station (I.S.S.). In June, NASA sent these two astronauts on a Boeing Starliner to the I.S.S. This was part of the ongoing exchange program in which NASA swaps out the astronauts living on the I.S.S. every few months. Williams and Wilmore’s journey on the I.S.S. was supposed to last only eight days, but in the end, their travels on the I.S.S. lasted nine months. 

Initially, NASA sent Willams and Wilmore to approve the spacecraft for continuous regular crew missions. To reach the I.S.S., which moves at approximately 17,500 miles per hour, their spacecraft, after reaching the point of separation from the launch vehicle, had to accelerate to match that speed. During this process of reaching the I.S.S., some of the space shuttle’s boosters malfunctioned, compromising the original plan of the two traveling back on the same shuttle. As a result, NASA deemed that returning the two with the same spacecraft was dangerous and they opted to enlist the help of another company, SpaceX, for a rescue mission. 

Space X has pursued reusable rocket launcher technology since the company’s founding and has made a name for itself as one of the most innovative space travel organizations in recent years. SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology allows for cheaper space travel and helps make space more accessible for NASA. With the help of SpaceX, NASA was able to send supplies to the stranded astronauts to help them survive for more than nine months on the I.S.S., and SpaceX made this process cheaper and more manageable with more regular launches up to the station. 

During those nine months in space, the astronauts performed several research projects, and Williams set a new record for the most spacewalks for a woman. The two did not suffer while in space, and in spite of the predicament, they still celebrated Christmas as SpaceX sent up Santa hats with some of their food.

Space X and NASA successfully readied a rescue mission for the two, and they touched the ocean successfully and safely on Mar. 18. The passengers entering the atmosphere landed via parachutes attached to the space shuttle. During the recorded landing of the space shuttle, a pod of dolphins swam right underneath. 

Some news reports have raised concerns about the proper compensation for these astronauts; the two are not eligible to earn overtime for the nine extra months they unexpectedly spent in space. As of right now, they are going to receive the compensation of a federal employee who was paid overtime on an extended stay, which is a lot less than some reports suggest they should be making–overtime based on their yearly salary. Many took to social media to raise their concerns about fairly compensating our scientists who put their lives on the line to perform groundbreaking research. President Trump has responded by suggesting that he would foot the bill, but nothing is final at the moment.

(Sources: CNN, New York Post, NYTimes, NPR, NASA, SpaceX)