Return of Sunita William from ISS

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On March 19, 2025, the news of Sunita Williams’ return from the ISS dominated headlines. But was it truly a momentous event, or just another example of media-driven hype? This question led me down a fascinating path—not just about the International Space Station (ISS) but also about how AI plays a role in shaping curiosity, influencing narratives, and diverting human attention. In this research article, I explore the ISS mission alongside the broader implications of AI in media and public perception. I hope you find these insights as thought-provoking as I did. Technology is not only about serving humanity but about culture, business, politics, egos, and power game.

What is ISS?

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The International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft that orbits Earth and serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory. It is a joint project involving NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).

Key Facts about the ISS:

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• Orbit: The ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 420 km (260 miles) and travels at a speed of about 28,000 km/h (17,500 mph), completing an orbit roughly every 90 minutes.
• Crew: It is continuously occupied by astronauts who conduct scientific experiments in various fields such as biology, physics, astronomy, and technology.
• Size: It is 109 meters (357 feet) wide, about the size of a football field.
• Construction: The first module, Zarya, was launched in 1998, and new modules have been added over time.
• Power: It is powered by large solar arrays that convert sunlight into electricity.
• Communication: The ISS uses a network of satellites to communicate with mission control centers on Earth.

Importance of the ISS:

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• Scientific Research: Conducts experiments that are impossible on Earth due to gravity.
• International Collaboration: It represents cooperation between multiple space agencies.
• Technology Testing: Tests new space technologies that could be used for future Mars missions.

How many people live in ISS?

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The International Space Station (ISS) typically hosts a crew of 6 to 7 astronauts at a time. However, this number can temporarily increase to 10-11 astronauts when new crew members arrive or during special missions.

Crew Composition:

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• The crew usually includes astronauts from NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).
• They are rotated in and out through missions such as SpaceX Crew Dragon, Soyuz, and Boeing Starliner flights.
• Each crew member stays on the ISS for about 6 months, although some long-duration missions last up to a year or more.

Why they are talking only about Sunita William?

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When there are 6 or 7 people from different countries then why only talk about Sunita William (American astronaut)?

The focus on American astronauts in the media, especially in Western news outlets, is primarily due to:

1. Media Bias & Audience Interest – U.S. media naturally prioritizes stories about American astronauts because their audience relates more to them. Russian, European, and other international media do the same with their astronauts.
2. NASA’s Strong Public Relations – NASA actively promotes its missions and astronauts, often making them more visible in global news.
3. Historical and Political Influence – The U.S. played a major role in space exploration, and NASA has a long history of publicizing its missions. The Cold War space race also contributed to this focus.
4. Private Sector Involvement – With companies like SpaceX and Boeing now sending astronauts, U.S. missions attract more attention.
5. English-Language Dominance – Since most international news sources use English, American astronauts often get more coverage compared to Russian or Chinese astronauts.
6. Sunita is Indian Name - People in India especially Hindus and Christians find as if it their own family member. So Indian media encashed this because Indians like to know more about her. It is good for Indian because we can infuse an inspiration in our children with the name resonating to our culture. It is like Kalpana Chawala, Columbia incident in 2003 our children took interest in space sciences.

However, space agencies like Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CNSA also celebrate their astronauts. If you follow international news, you’ll see coverage of Russian cosmonauts, European astronauts, and Chinese taikonauts as well.

China is also a space power so why are they not part of ISS?

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In 2011, the U.S. Congress passed a law (the Wolf Amendment) that prohibits NASA from collaborating with China due to security concerns. After this instead of joining the ISS, China developed its own space station, Tiangong (天宫, “Heavenly Palace”), which became fully operational in 2022.

China’s Space Station: Tiangong

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• Operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA)
• Has a modular design similar to the ISS
• Hosts Chinese astronauts (taikonauts) for long-term missions
• Open to international cooperation, with countries like Pakistan and the European Space Agency (ESA) showing interest

Can you tell me more about Tiangong?

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Tiangong

• Orbit: ~400-450 km altitude (similar to the ISS)
• Size: About one-fifth the mass of the ISS but can be expanded
• Capacity: Supports 3 astronauts (taikonauts) for long-term missions (up to 6 temporarily)
• International Collaboration: Open to astronauts and experiments from other countries
• Conducting experiments in biology, physics, material science, and medicine
• Plans for space-based telescope Xuntian (巡天, “Surveying the Heavens”) in 2025, similar to the Hubble Telescope

Tiangong Core Module: Tianhe (天和 - “Harmony of the Heavens”)

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• Launched: April 29, 2021
• Functions as the living quarters and control center for the station
• Provides power, propulsion, life support, and communications

Tiangong Science Modules

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• Wentian (问天 - “Quest for the Heavens”) : (Launched July 24, 2022) → Primarily for scientific experiments and extra sleeping quarters
• Mengtian (梦天 - “Dreaming of the Heavens”) : Focuses on microgravity research and technology experiments

Notable Crewed Missions to Tiangong:

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1. Shenzhou 12 (June 2021) – First crewed mission to Tiangong
2. Shenzhou 13 (October 2021 - April 2022) – First 6-month mission
3. Shenzhou 14 & 15 (2022) – Helped complete the station’s assembly
4. Shenzhou 16 (May 2023) & Shenzhou 17 (October 2023) – Latest long-duration missions

Future Plans for Tiangong

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• Adding New Modules: China may expand Tiangong with additional science modules
• International Cooperation: China has invited astronauts from Pakistan, Russia, and ESA
• Deep Space Missions: Tiangong will be a training ground for China’s planned Moon and Mars missions

Why Russians or other countries Space Mission didn’t bring back Sunita William?

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Despite the presence of other international astronauts and alternative return options, why so much media attention around American astronauts?

1. Media Focus & Narrative

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• Western media prioritizes American astronauts because their audience is primarily from the U.S. and allied nations.
• The U.S. space program, especially NASA and SpaceX, has a strong public relations strategy, which results in more media coverage.

2. ISS Has Emergency Return Options

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• The ISS always has at least one Russian Soyuz and one U.S. Crew Dragon or Boeing Starliner docked. These serve as “lifeboats” in case of an emergency.
• If a NASA spacecraft failed, the Russian Soyuz could technically bring astronauts back, and vice versa.

3. Geopolitical & Space Rivalry

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• While the ISS is a collaborative project, relations between NASA and Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency) have been strained due to geopolitical tensions (e.g., Ukraine war, sanctions).
• Even though Russians and Americans cooperate in space, political tensions make such arrangements difficult on Earth.

4. NASA’s Reputation & Public Funding

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• NASA is publicly funded, meaning U.S. taxpayers care about astronaut safety and mission success.
• If something goes wrong, it raises questions about NASA’s competence and funding, making it a bigger issue domestically.

5. Russia’s Soyuz Was the Only Option for a While

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• After the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, NASA relied entirely on Russian Soyuz to send and return astronauts until SpaceX’s Crew Dragon became operational in 2020.
• This dependence made NASA vulnerable to political and technical risks, which added to the drama when problems occurred.

Bottom Line

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• The “fuss” is more about media perception than actual safety risks. The ISS is designed with redundant return options, but political and media narratives often exaggerate the situation.
• If a NASA spacecraft failed, Russian Soyuz or even ESA partners could help. However, using another country’s spacecraft in an emergency is complicated due to diplomatic and logistical challenges.

What are different parts of ISS?

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The International Space Station (ISS) is a massive modular structure made up of various interconnected modules and components contributed by different space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).

Main Components of the ISS

Core Modules (Living & Working Areas)

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External Structures & Docking Ports

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Newer & Upcoming Modules

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Who Built What?

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• USA (NASA): Unity, Destiny, Harmony, Tranquility, solar arrays, robotic arms
• Russia (Roscosmos): Zarya, Zvezda, Nauka, docking ports
• Europe (ESA): Columbus laboratory
• Japan (JAXA): Kibo laboratory
• Canada (CSA): Canadarm2 robotic arm

How the ISS Works

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• 🌍 Orbit: 400-420 km above Earth, traveling at ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph). Every 90 minute is complete one rotation of the earth. It means day and night are 90 minutes long.
• 🔋 Power: Solar panels generate ~120 kW of electricity
• 💨 Life Support: Filters carbon dioxide, provides oxygen from electrolysis
• 🍽️ Food & Water: Supplies sent via cargo spacecraft; water is recycled
• 🧑‍🚀 Crew: 6-7 astronauts at a time from NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA
• 📡 Communication: Uses satellites to relay data between the ISS and Earth

What’s Next for the ISS?

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• The ISS is planned to operate until 2030 before being deorbited and replaced by commercial space stations and NASA’s Lunar Gateway.
• China’s Tiangong station is becoming a new option for international research.

Is gravity Zero at ISS?

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No, gravity is not zero at 430 km (the altitude of the ISS). However, it is weaker than on Earth’s surface—but still significant.

Gravity at 430 km Altitude
At 430 km, gravity is about 8.7 m/s² (compared to 9.8 m/s² on Earth’s surface).

Why Do Astronauts Float? (Microgravity) Astronauts float not because there is no gravity, but because they are in free fall.

• The ISS is constantly falling toward Earth, but because of its high speed (~28,000 km/h), it keeps missing the Earth and stays in orbit.
• This creates microgravity (very weak gravity), making astronauts feel weightless.

Can Objects Fall from the ISS to Earth?

• Yes, but only if they lose orbital speed (e.g., due to air resistance or propulsion).
• Without correction, the ISS would slowly lose altitude and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.

430 KM is not far, can a person jump from ISS and fall on the earth?

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No, if someone jumps out of the ISS with a parachute, they won’t fall directly to Earth. Instead, they will continue orbiting Earth almost exactly like the ISS. Here’s why:

Why They Won’t Fall Straight Down

• The ISS moves at ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph).
• A person jumping out would still have that same speed.
• Instead of falling straight down, they would continue orbiting Earth just like the ISS.

How to Actually Fall to Earth
To return to Earth, they need to reduce their orbital velocity so that Earth’s gravity can pull them down. This requires:

• A retrograde burn (slowing down significantly) – usually done using spacecraft thrusters.
• Controlled re-entry – to prevent burning up in the atmosphere.

Why a Parachute Alone Won’t Work

• A parachute only works in dense air (around 10 km altitude or lower).
• At the ISS’s height (~400 km), the air is almost nonexistent, so the parachute won’t deploy.
• The person would keep orbiting until their speed naturally decreases (which would take years due to slight atmospheric drag).

What Would Happen Instead?
If they don’t slow down and just jump:
🚀 They will keep orbiting Earth (like space debris).
🔥 Eventually, air resistance will slow them down over months or years.
☄️ They will burn up in the atmosphere due to high-speed re-entry.

How Do Astronauts Return Safely?

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They use spacecraft like Soyuz or Crew Dragon, which:

• Fire retrograde thrusters to slow down.
• Enter the atmosphere at a precise angle.
• Use a heat shield to survive re-entry.
• Deploy parachutes at lower altitudes (~10 km) for a safe landing.

Key Terminologies related to ISS

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Rocket (Launch Vehicle)

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• Definition: A powerful vehicle that carries spacecraft into orbit.
• Purpose: Provides the initial thrust to escape Earth’s gravity.
• Examples:
  • Falcon 9 (SpaceX) – Launches Crew Dragon & Cargo Dragon to ISS.
  • Soyuz Rocket (Russia) – Launches Soyuz spacecraft with astronauts.
  • SLS (NASA, upcoming) – For deep space missions, not ISS.

Spacecraft (Crew & Cargo Vehicles)

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These detach from rockets once in orbit and travel to the ISS.

Crewed Spacecraft (Transports Astronauts)

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🔹 Key Role: Brings astronauts to and from the ISS.

Cargo Spacecraft (Supplies Food, Equipment, Science Experiments)

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🔹 Key Role: Resupplies the ISS with food, fuel, science materials, and removes waste.

International Space Station (ISS)

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• Definition: A habitable space laboratory where astronauts live and conduct research.
• Structure: Made of modules from USA, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
• Purpose: Supports long-term human spaceflight, scientific experiments, and Earth observation.

Space Robotics & Docking Systems

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• Canadarm2 (CSA, Canada): A robotic arm that captures cargo spacecraft and moves equipment.
• Latching End Effector (LEE): The “hand” of Canadarm2.
• Docking Adapters (NASA, Roscosmos): Allow spacecraft to attach to the ISS.

Space Suits & EVA (Spacewalks)

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Key Role: Helps astronauts repair the ISS, install equipment, and conduct spacewalks.

• EMU (NASA, USA): Used for ISS maintenance & repairs.
• Orlan (Roscosmos, Russia): Russian spacewalking suit.

Re-entry & Landing Systems

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Key Role: Safely brings astronauts back to Earth.

• Soyuz Capsule (Russia) – Lands in Kazakhstan using parachutes.
• Crew Dragon (SpaceX, USA) – Splashes down in the ocean with parachutes.
• Boeing Starliner (USA, upcoming) – Lands on solid ground.

Can you tell me more about Rocket Used and ISS Module Carried?

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All the ISS modules were taken into space by rockets, but they are not the same as crewed spacecraft.

• Rockets launch both spacecraft and ISS modules.
• ISS modules are fixed, while spacecraft can move.
• Astronauts and robotic arms assemble ISS modules in orbit.

How Were ISS Modules Launched?

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Each module was carried into orbit using rockets, and then astronauts or robotic arms assembled them in space.

• Spacecraft (e.g., Soyuz, Crew Dragon) carry humans and supplies.
• Rockets (e.g., Space Shuttle, Proton, Falcon 9) carry large ISS modules into orbit.

🔹 Which Rockets Launched ISS Modules?

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Difference Between ISS Modules and Spacecraft

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What is meaning of space shuttle flight?

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A Space Shuttle flight refers to a mission using NASA’s Space Shuttle, a reusable spacecraft that launched like a rocket, orbited like a satellite, and landed like a plane.

Space Shuttle Overview

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• Purpose: To transport astronauts, cargo, and ISS modules to space.
• Lifespan: 1981 – 2011 (Retired after 30 years of service).
• Launch Method: Vertical launch using solid rocket boosters and a large fuel tank.
• Landing Method: Glided back to Earth and landed on a runway.
• Reusability: Unlike traditional rockets, the orbiter could be reused for multiple missions.

Space Shuttle’s Role in ISS

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• Helped build the ISS by launching and assembling key modules.
• Carried large cargo (e.g., labs, solar panels, docking adapters).
• Brought astronauts to and from the ISS.
• Used robotic arm (Canadarm2) for ISS assembly and maintenance.

Key Parts of the Space Shuttle

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Famous Space Shuttle Flights

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Why Was the Space Shuttle Retired?

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• High cost per mission (~$450M - $1.5B).
• Two major disasters (Challenger in 1986, Columbia in 2003).
• Safer and cheaper spacecraft (e.g., Crew Dragon, Soyuz) became available.

What Replaced the Space Shuttle?

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• SpaceX Crew Dragon (USA)
• Boeing Starliner (USA)
• Soyuz (Russia)

What happens to the rocket which are used to launch these spacecrafts and modules?

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The fate of a rocket after launch depends on its type and purpose. Rockets have multiple stages, and each stage behaves differently after separation. Here’s what happens:

What Happens to Rocket Stages?

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1- First Stage (Main Boosters): Provides initial thrust to escape Earth’s gravity. Usually detaches a few minutes after launch and follows one of these fates:

• Reusable Rockets (e.g., Falcon 9, New Glenn): Lands back on Earth (on a drone ship or launch pad) for reuse.
• Non-Reusable Rockets (e.g., Soyuz, Proton, SLS): Falls back into the ocean or remote land areas and is destroyed.

2- Second Stage : Pushes the spacecraft/module into orbit. After separation, it can:

• Burn up in the atmosphere (if low orbit).
• Become space debris (if it remains in high orbit).

3- Fairings (Protective Shell for Cargo)

• Detached early in flight once the rocket reaches space.
• Some companies (like SpaceX) recover and reuse fairings by catching them mid-air with ships.

What Happens to Rockets for ISS Missions?

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Where Do Rocket Parts Fall?

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• Oceans: Most stages fall into the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean.
• Remote Land Areas: Russia’s rockets drop in Kazakhstan/Siberia.
• Space Graveyards: Unused rocket parts may be sent to orbit decay zones (e.g., Point Nemo in the Pacific).

Key Innovations in Rocket Recovery

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• SpaceX Falcon 9 & Starship: Lands back for reuse.
• Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket: Uses parachutes & helicopters to recover.
• Blue Origin’s New Shepard: Lands vertically like Falcon 9.

Key Takeaways

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• Most rockets are destroyed (burn up or fall into the ocean).
• Some rockets (like Falcon 9) are reused to reduce costs.
• Space debris is a challenge, and companies are working on reusable rocket tech.

What is white color huge cloud/fume behind rocket launch?

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The huge white plume behind a rocket launch is a mix of water vapor, smoke, and unburnt fuel, mainly caused by the rocket’s exhaust and cooling systems. Here’s a breakdown:

What Creates the White Fume?

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1. Rocket Exhaust (Main Cause)

   • Rockets burn liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) or other fuels.
   • This combustion produces water vapor (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
   • In cold air, the hot water vapor condenses into a white cloud (like a jet contrail).

2. Water Sound Suppression System (Launch Pad Fog)

   • Tons of water is sprayed under the rocket to reduce sound and heat damage.
   • When super-hot exhaust instantly vaporizes this water, it creates a thick white cloud.

3. Solid Rocket Booster Exhaust (If Used)

   • Some rockets (e.g., Space Shuttle, SLS, PSLV) use solid fuel boosters, which produce:
     • Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) particles → White smoke.
     • Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and other gases → Adds to the plume.

4. Wind Effects & Condensation

   • The extreme heat creates turbulence in the atmosphere.
   • Moist air condenses into a visible cloud even after the rocket is gone.

Why Does the Plume Look Different for Each Rocket?

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Key Takeaways

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• Mostly water vapor (not pollution like factories).
• Caused by burning fuel, water vaporization, and solid fuel residues.
• Plume color depends on rocket fuel type (liquid = clearer, solid = smokier).