Astronaut Sunita Williams Vehemently Opposes Elon Musk's Bid to Close Down International Space Station
Legendary astronaut Sunita Williams has contradicted Elon Musk's suggestion for the closure of the International Space Station (ISS). Williams, who has taken part in four space missions, laid great emphasis on the value of the ISS towards pushing science ahead and explorations into outer space.
The ISS, a collaborative endeavor of international space agencies, has been on duty since 1998. It is used as a laboratory for conducting scientific research, observatory, and testbed for testing spaceflight technologies. Williams believed that stopping the ISS operation would not just delay scientific achievement but also weaken the efforts of astronauts and researchers who have dedicated their time working towards the growth of our knowledge about space.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made public his intention to send people to Mars and create a permanent, sustainable human presence in space. Although the ambitions of Musk are laudable, according to Williams, the ISS continues to be an essential part of humanity's exploration of space.
NASA, the lead partner in the ISS program, has also stated its intention to continue operating the space station. The agency sees the ISS as a vital platform for carrying out scientific research, testing spaceflight technologies, and building the skills and expertise needed for deep space exploration.
Lastly, Sunita Williams' veto of Elon Musk's offer to close the ISS shows that keeping investing in space research and exploration is a big deal. With human beings breaking frontiers as far as going into space is concerned and expanding our scientific frontier, it is imperative that we maintain and augment what has already been accomplished in the past.