NASA’s newest replace on the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station entailed a festive rollout because the beleaguered Starliner’s Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been snapped sporting Santa hats and different Christmas paraphernalia. With the duo already having celebrated Thanksgiving in house alongside their different colleagues, they will even lay out their grand Christmas and New Year’s menu away from residence for the rest of the continuing vacation season.
Considering how Williams and Wilmore’s initially deliberate eight-day mission has been struck with infinite delays and setbacks, the pair will find yourself spending practically a complete yr in house till their revised rescue mission date clocks out in Spring 2025. As a consequence, the much-anticipated updates surrounding the house heroes’ lives up there have been topic to severely heated discussions on-line – every time sparking a brand new wave of conspiracy theories, together with the earlier overwhelming weight reduction worries.
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New conspiracy theories about Sunita Williams-Butch Wilmore’s prolonged house keep erupt
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague and Don Petitt’s Christmas greetings this week have inevitably fuelled a brand new batch of distrusting hypothesis. On Christmas Eve, the New York Post reported that X customers banded collectively to query this newest growth. “Did they take Santa hats with them earlier than they launched,” a person commented on-line. “Or did they knit them whereas they’re there?” Another particular person, enraged with doubt, added, “These the identical guys who went up for an 8-day mission in June?”
Even although this isn’t the primary time the primary reported case of extended spaceflights, particularly since some record-holding house missions have gone on for even longer, the Starliner astronauts’ case has presumably generated extra buzz and mistrust than ever. Beyond the mere questions on why the ISS crew had Christmas decorations once they have been initially slated to disembark from the house station in June itself, others levelled heavy accusations, signalling an elaborate conspiracy at work. An X person recommended, ‘It’s all one large present,” weighing into the chance that the astronauts weren’t even in house. Another one claimed that each one these visible updates have been filmed in a studio as an alternative.
Officials break silence
NASA has reportedly since pushed again in opposition to this inflammatory rhetoric, confirming to The Post that each one the festive decorations, particular items, and Christmas meals for the ISS crew members have been truly included in a three-ton SpaceX supply in late November.
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This isn’t new, as these customary deliveries are likely to refill the ISS with recent provides repeatedly over the yr. As per US experiences, seven astronauts and cosmonauts are presently on board the ISS. The just lately delivered package deal for Sunita Williams and others included quite a few meals objects and different mission-specific / scientific objects.
The former half of the ration introduced in ham, turkey, greens and finger-licking treats like pies and cookies for these with a candy tooth. On high of delivery these requirements, NASA additionally saved some house for a festive assortment of hats and a Christmas tree, as featured on this week’s Christmas video posted on-line.
Despite patiently awaiting their rescue mission deadline, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s homecoming journey hit one other snag this month. According to a postponed schedule, they aren’t anticipated to hitch a experience again residence on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule earlier than late March. They have been initially scheduled to take off in early February.