NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6.
New Delhi: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6. Now, 79 days later, their return to Earth remains uncertain as NASA considers several options that could delay their departure until February next year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) is likely to make a final decision today(Saturday) regarding whether to bring the two astronauts back to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft or SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, the US space agency stated. The space agency said, “NASA’s decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard is expected no earlier than August 24 (Saturday) at the conclusion of an agency-level review.”
Originally scheduled to return within a week, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore could now likely face an extended stay of over eight months due to significant issues with the Starliner spacecraft. The astronauts left for the orbiting laboratory on June 6 aboard the Boeing Starliner after lifting off on June 5 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in the US.
As the Starliner spacecraft approached the orbiting lab, it encountered a series of technical problems, including the failure of several thrusters and helium leaks in its propulsion system. Although engineers managed to bring four of the five malfunctioning thrusters back online—out of the 28 thrusters on Starliner—there are still concerns about ensuring a successful de-orbit back to Earth. Although Boeing proclaimed the safety of Starliner, NASA officials have disagreed, news agency IANS reported. If the US space agency deems Starliner unfit to travel on Saturday, it would undock uncrewed from the orbiting lab.
It is reported that Williams and Willmore – the duo who became the first to ride the much-delayed Starliner – is likely to return onboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025, as NASA has delayed the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the ISS to September 24.
After several setbacks for years, Boeing launched its first flight on June 5. Along with SpaceX, the company signed a contract with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in 2014 to conduct operational missions to and from the space station.
Earlier in 2019, its debut uncrewed orbital flight mission did not go as planned. Later, the mission was completed in 2022. SpaceX’s Dragon capsules have been launching astronauts to space on its Falcon 9 rockets since 2020. It has so far aced about 12 flights to the Space Station. As per IANS report, While Boeing has poured over $1.5 billion into its Starliner programme, NASA has paid the aerospace giant about $4.2 billion over the years. Both Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon were aimed to ferry astronauts and cargo for NASA missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
(With IANS Inputs)