Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, astronauts from NASA, are stranded in space and are expected to stay there until February of next year. At the same time, America is scheduled to have its 2024 presidential election in November 2024. Even though the astronauts are stuck in space following Boeing's independent return, they will still participate in voting.
Thinking about the difficulties they had faced recently, the pair characterised the past months as "challenging at times." However, Williams mentioned that adapting to station life was doable, stating, "This is where I feel content." "I enjoy being in space."
How Would The Astronauts Vote?
The process is simpler than anticipated: after the ballots are sent to the ISS (International Space Station), where astronauts are currently residing. The astronauts will get their ballots digitally as a PDF file containing interactive checkboxes. After they are done with casting their respective votes, the ballots are transmitted electronically to Earth.
Here comes the work of election officials from Harris County, Texas, who are collaborating with NASA to help astronauts request and receive ballots, as the astronauts are official residents of the county.
In order to guarantee security, the ballots are encrypted prior to being sent to NASA's Mission Control Centre in Houston, in accordance with the website. From that point on, they are sent to the correct county clerk for handling.
This is possible as legislators in Texas passed a bill in 1997 allowing NASA astronauts to cast their votes from space. David Wolf was the initial person to test it on the Mir Space Station. This system ensures that astronauts have the ability to participate in elections and maintain contact with their democratic rights while they are far away in space.
Sunita And Butch On Voting From Space
Wilmore mentioned during a recent press conference with Fox Weather that he had submitted his request for a ballot. "I sent down my request for a ballot today. As a matter of fact, they should get it to us in a couple of weeks, and absolutely, yes, it's a very important role that we all play as citizens to be included in those elections. And that's what makes it very easy for us to do that. So, we're excited about that opportunity.”
Sunita Williams, agreeing with Butch Wilmore, stated, "It’s a very important duty, and I’m looking forward to voting from space."
Astronaut's Recent Interview
Though they have always considered space their 'happy place,' these two retired Navy captains and long-time NASA astronauts have recently confessed to struggling. Boeing's Starliner faced technical problems, resulting in them being stuck on the ISS. An intended one-week trial has extended to several months, with SpaceX, under Elon Musk's leadership, set to rescue them in February after nearly a year in space.
Wilmore stated, "The past three months have been a significant journey." We have been engaged in evaluating our spacecraft at every stage. He further mentioned, "And there were challenging moments. There were difficult moments the whole time."
Williams had no trouble adjusting to life on the space station due to her past experience, and she shared her passion for being in space. Wilmore acknowledged the need for Boeing to implement changes due to the issues they have faced but emphasised the commitment of both Boeing and the team to implementing these changes. Boeing agrees with that. "We all agree with that.”
He went on to say that when you push boundaries and try new things with spacecraft, like with Starliner, you may encounter unexpected challenges.
