Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, are currently stuck at the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with Boeing's (NYSE: BA) Starliner spacecraft.
What Happened: The astronauts are now over two months into their eight-day mission, with the Starliner spacecraft that transported them to the ISS potentially incapable of bringing them back safely. During a NASA media briefing on August 7, senior officials discussed the problems with the Starliner's multiple thrusters, including leaks in its propulsion system and some thrusters powering down.
While the thrusters are performing well in space, engineers on the ground are yet to understand the physics behind the issue. Until they gain confidence in the propulsion system, an immediate return flight for Williams and Wilmore in the Starliner is increasingly unlikely.
NASA's director of space operations, Ken Bowersox, stated that the chances of an uncrewed Starliner return have increased. "While they're up there, we have extra crew, we have extra hands, and they can do a lot more work. But they're also using up more consumables, more supplies. At some point, we need to bring those folks home and get back to a normal crew size on the ISS," Bowersox told reporters during a press briefing on Aug. 7, reported CNN.
NASA's Plan To Bring Astronauts Back
If the Starliner returns without the astronauts, NASA plans to send a four-seater SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft with two astronauts on board. Williams and Wilmore would then remain on the ISS until February 2025 and return with them. This would leave a total of seven crew members - four astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts - on the ISS.
What Are The Astronauts Doing In Space
Despite the challenges, the astronauts are making the most of their extended stay, helping maintain the station, running science experiments, and even training for the Olympics. The International Space Station program manager, Dana Weigel, praised the astronauts, stating that they have been fully trained for the ISS science experiments and are prepared for any path they go down.
"Butch and Suni are fully trained. They're capable and current with EVA (spacewalks), with robotics, with all the things we need them to do," Weigel told reporters in a press briefing on Aug. 7, the CNN report added.
Rare But Not Unprecedented
While this situation is rare, it is not without precedent. For instance, in May 1991, Soviet cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev embarked on a journey to the space station Mir, with the expectation of spending a few months in orbit.
However, the political upheaval on Earth, including the dissolution of the Soviet Union, led to an unexpected extension of his stay. Despite the uncertainty of their return, Krikalev and his colleague, Aleksandr Volkov, kept a regular line of communication with mission control and received scheduled supply deliveries.
"I heard all the stories that we were forgotten on the station. It was of course not true because every day we had communication with the ground, we had a scheduled flight to deliver everything, required experiments and data and food and water. Everything was coming to us basically on schedule," Krikalev told BBC.
After spending nearly a year in orbit, Krikalev returned to his new home country of Russia. He later made history by becoming the first Russian to fly in the Space Shuttle and was among the first crew to live on the ISS.
Further Implications Because Of Starliner's Delay
Meanwhile, the Starliner's delay has also led to the postponement of the Crew-9 mission launch to the ISS. The mission, initially scheduled for Aug. 18, has been delayed by over a month due to the ongoing technical issues with the Starliner.