Is space exploration worth it? An eight-day jaunt has turned into an eight-month nightmare for astronaut Sunita Williams, who is stranded 254 miles above Earth. Many say her bravery is utterly inspiring.
The woman risking her life for science
Emergencies: Williams above has led her team in facing multiple crises in the past few days when a toxic gas emerged from a Russian spacecraft docked on the International Space Station just hours after they had to take urgent evasive action from a huge piece of space junk. Glossary
International Space Station - A joint project between the US, Russia, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency.
Nasa - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the US space programme.
Thruster - Part of a space rocket's propulsion system.