Dr. R K Chadha
The splash down of the Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Florida today, 19 March 2025 at 3.27 am IST brought back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth after 286 days along with other NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9. Watching the Dragon module with parachutes in place before it splashed on the ocean surface brought a sigh of relief to millions who waited with bated breath. While it was a big relief for relatives, near and dear, and thousands of people sympathising with them because of the unusual delay of their journey back home, it was business as usual for both these astronauts and NASA, as well.
Scientists are like soldiers, fully cognizant of the risks involved in a mission. In science, passion overrules everything when you either explore our solar system or beyond or take up missions to the Arctic to Antarctic oceans braving all challenges that crop up unexpectedly. When Sunita and Butch strapped themselves into Boeing Starliner in its first crewed test flight on 5 June 2024, they were willing to put their lives on the line for a first flight on an already questionable spacecraft. However, the spacecraft docked successfully to the International Space Station but developed problems with thrusters and helium leaks. To avoid any risk to the lives of astronauts, the spacecraft returned to earth uncrewed, leaving behind both of them.
I am sure both these astronauts were ecstatic at the opportunity and enjoyed their predicament and wanted to spend as much time in space as possible. The pictures of a dancing Sunita Williams on her arrival to the ISS in June last year are still fresh in people’s memories. Moreover, they are not new to long stays in space as Williams has already logged 608 days in space over her three flights, and Butch Wilmore 464 days in his three flights. We need to understand that astronauts are not tourists caught in an airport delay or nine-to-five employees who get disturbed by any unusual change in their routines. They are professionals who have signed up for one of the most demanding professions and are sacrificing their bodies for scientific growth. The lure of space science is such that astronauts have to fight like mad to get jealously defended flight slots in space missions and they are all trained for years for such eventualities. And, after all, the ISS itself is a marvel of modern engineering, designed to keep astronauts alive and kicking for the long haul with enough supplies to keep them comfy.
Many astronauts and cosmonauts have spent more than 300 consecutive days in space, so Williams and Wilmore’s stay in space is not unusual; it is like asking why sailors have to spend so much time at sea! Though it appears that it can take up to 3 years to fully recover from some health issues like bone density loss, muscle atrophy, eye impairment, and potential long-term radiation, the good news is that no permanent damage due to long exposure to microgravity or cosmic radiation has been observed.
During their extended stay, Sunita and Butch travelled close to 19.6 crores km, spent 286 days in space and completed 4,576 orbits around the Earth. They contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Williams conducted two spacewalks, joined by Wilmore for one and astronaut Hague for another to collect samples from station’s external surface for analysis, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope and removing a faulty radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss. She now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, with 62 hours and 6 minutes outside of the station, and is fourth on the all-time spacewalk duration list.
More than 150 unique scientific experiments and technology demonstrations were conducted between them, with over 900 hours of research. The investigations included a study on plant growth and quality, as well as the potential of stem cell technology to address blood diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. They also tested lighting systems to help astronauts maintain circadian rhythms, loaded the first wooden satellite for deployment, and took samples from the space station’s exterior to study whether microorganisms can survive in space.
The title I chose for my article might seem unconventional, but it is my firm belief that just as soldiers fight for territory or victory, scientists engage in battles to advance knowledge and solve complex problems with technological innovation as their weapons, even if it is at the cost of their lives. We have seen how scientific breakthroughs have helped in medical treatments against disease, poverty and other challenges. Today, the armed force of a country relies heavily on scientific advancements for its operations to provide security. You take up any field from food security to energy to strategic issues, science soldiers are working day and night in the background for the welfare of society.
I recollect Robert Solow, the 1987 Nobel Prize winner in Economics, who said that the wealth of nations is not from banking and stock market but from innovation that drives new businesses and high-quality jobs. Thirty-one years later in 2018, Economics Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer once again reiterated that economies grow because of investment in science. Let it be, basic science, applied science, all science, any science of inquiry into anything. The last decade in India has seen a push in this direction with a substantial increase in the budget allocation to space sciences. Unfortunately, the budgetary push looks skewed in favour of applied sciences rather than basic science that forms the backbone. There is a need to correct this anomaly, and this can only be done when science professionals are allowed in decision-making and have a final say in science matters. The younger scientists in the country are in dire need of free movement and exchange of ideas that allows rubbing shoulders with peers in their field at the international forums and also within the country. This can only happen with generous grants from the government and unshackling these young souls from the fear of bureaucratic rigid rules that suffocate and discourage them from taking up challenging tasks. The fear of failure should be driven out from the minds of these young budding scientists as “in their hands lies the power to shape country’s destiny. I rest my case with a fond hope that somebody at the top is listening.