After Boeing Starliner problems postponed their flight, NASA is looking into other possibilities, including employing SpaceX, to safely return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams from the International Space Station.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are stuck on the International Space Station (ISS), posing a serious situation for NASA. Critical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft have caused an indefinite delay in their return, which was originally planned for an eight-day journey. NASA is investigating other options to return the astronauts to Earth as a result of this situation.
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NASA declared on Wednesday that it is looking into several options to guarantee the astronauts’ safe return. An extension of their stay until 2025 is one suggested solution, with Elon Musk’s SpaceX perhaps being used as a backup. This action highlights the fierce competition that exists in the commercial space industry between SpaceX and Boeing.
NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Operations, Kenneth Bowersox, spoke at a press conference on the difficulties in recovering the astronauts and possible ways to overcome them. He stressed that it might not be possible for them to return entirely on the Starliner. Bowersox said, “We can choose to bring them back in a different car.” Having taken off on Boeing’s Starliner, Williams and Wilmore have now spent more than two months in space.
Their extended stay, while providing additional support to the Expedition 71 crew, is rapidly depleting the ISS’s resources. Initially, NASA was hesitant to consider alternative return options. However, officials are now openly discussing the possibility of utilizing a different spacecraft to bring the astronauts home. Despite these discussions, a consensus on the best course of action has yet to be reached.
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Collaboration with SpaceX
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, highlighted the agency’s collaboration with SpaceX to prepare for the astronauts’ potential return on Crew 9. “We have been working with SpaceX to ensure that they are ready to respond on Crew 9… returning Butch and Suni on Crew 9 if we need that,” he explained.
This plan would involve selecting only two of the four astronauts initially assigned to the Crew 9 mission and adding additional spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams. NASA announced on Tuesday that the SpaceX Crew 9 mission launch has been postponed from mid-August to September 25th, 2024.
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Extended stay until 2025?
Stich detailed plans for the astronauts’ return, stating, “We have set up the Dragon for Crew 9 to have flexibility, to have only two passengers fly up on that flight, and then we can return four crew members in February 2025. Butch and Suni would remain on station as part of that increment and return home with them on Crew 9.”
However, a final decision has not yet been made, and officials have indicated it could take a week or more to conclude. Using a SpaceX craft for the astronauts’ return would mark a significant setback for Boeing, which has faced numerous challenges in competing with SpaceX and was hopeful for the success of its latest mission.
Upon its arrival at the ISS, the Starliner encountered several technical problems, including leaks in its propulsion system and thrusters shutting down. “Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner,” Stich noted. “However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open.”
The ongoing issues with the Starliner and the potential reliance on SpaceX highlight the complexities and challenges in modern space exploration and the critical need for reliable spacecraft to ensure the safety of astronauts.
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