Fresh trouble for Sunita Williams, crew as 'spacebug' detected at space station

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her eight crew members on the International Space Station (ISS), faces a new challenge. A 'spacebug' named Enterobacter bugandensis, which is multi-drug resistant has been discovered aboard the ISS.

This superbug, which can infect the respiratory system, has evolved and become more potent within the closed environment of the space station. The bacteria have travelled to the ISS as hidden co-passengers over time and have adapted to the unique conditions of space.

Sunita Williams and her colleague, Astronaut Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore, arrived at the ISS on June 6, 2024, aboard the new Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They are scheduled to spend over a week at the space station to test the new spacecraft before returning to Earth. The other seven crew members have been living on the ISS for a longer period.

While space debris and micrometeorites are usual concerns at the ISS, the presence of these evolved bugs has become a new worry. According to NASA, thirteen strains of E. bugandensis have been isolated and studied. These strains have mutated and become genetically distinct from their counterparts on Earth, thriving in the ISS environment over time.

Also watch: Sunita Williams' happy dance after reaching ISS