By Dean Murray via SWNS
The stranded International Space Station astronauts are keeping busy – by making pizza and dressing as pirates.
Americans Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore found themselves marooned on the International Space Station (ISS) in June when the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they arrived on was deemed unsafe to fly back on.
They were expecting to spend eight days on the ISS, but they are now earmarked to come home in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
While the astronauts have been tasked with completing scientific tasks, there has been some room for fun.
Earlier this month, Williams and Wilmore were seen making pizza in the ISS’s galley located inside the Unity module.
Joined by fellow NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Tracy C. Dyson, the team had to secure items and ingredients to the galley using tape and velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment.
While on 19 Sep, Suni Williams dressed appropriately as she celebrated her birthday during International Talk Like a Pirate Day aboard the International Space Station.
However, Suni Williams will now have more responsibilities as she was made commander of the space station on Sunday (22 Sep).
A change of command ceremony saw Russian cosmonaut Olog Kononenko hand over leadership of ISS Expedition 71 to Williams.
NASA said on Tuesday (24 Sep): “Expedition 72 is officially underway with NASA astronaut Suni Williams as its commander aboard the International Space Station.
“Williams took command of the orbital outpost when NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub undocked from the Prichal docking module on Monday.
“Williams, who arrived at the station with NASA Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore on June 6, will lead orbital outpost operations until February when she and Wilmore are scheduled to return to Earth with the SpaceX Crew-9 members aboard the Dragon Endurance spacecraft.”
The space agency outlined new tasks for the duo, adding “Williams was busy Tuesday readying standard emergency equipment ahead of Crew-9’s upcoming arrival. Wilmore explored how specialized substances gel and coarsen possibly leading to advancements in the pharmaceutical, food, and 3D printing industries.”
