Boeing’s Starliner has been stuck in space for over a month now. The spacecraft, which launched on June 5, was initially slated for a 10-day mission. However, it encountered unforeseen issues with its thrusters while docking at the International Space Station the next day. As a solution is still being devised, the astronauts on board are engaging themselves in research while in space.
NASA unveils Sunita Williams’ research on space plants
Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore are the two astronauts who were deployed as part of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test. With plenty of time on their hands, the duo engaged in research on space plants and free-flying robots on Wednesday, according to a statement released by NASA. Wilmore and Williams are “exploring ways to effectively water plants in the weightless environment,” the US space agency said.
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“The duo took turns throughout the day in the Harmony module testing how root models and plants of various sizes would absorb water in microgravity . The Plant Water Management study looks at techniques such as hydroponics and air circulation to nourish plants growing aboard spacecraft and space habitats,” the statement added.
In a previous statement, NASA said that the two astronauts spent most of their time testing different ways to water plants that are growing without soil in the weightless environment of microgravity. “Williams first set up the Plant Water Management hardware in the Harmony module then tested a variety of liquid flow methods while video recording the results,” the statement reads.
“Following her work, Wilmore ran more tests using hydroponics and air circulation techniques to learn how to effectively nourish a variety of plants on spacecraft and space habitats,” it adds. Meanwhile, in Thursday’s release, the agency noted that the duo “started their day servicing a variety of research hardware.”
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