NASA has unanimously decided not to allow astronauts to return to Earth Butch Wilmore And Sunita Williamsstuck in the International Space Station since June due to technical problems with the capsule Starliner of Beoing who had already shown up during the outward journey, with the capsule itself. The decision was made to security reasons in order to avoid accidents that could compromise the safety of the astronauts during a possible return trip with Starliner. The astronauts will then return to February 2025 on board a spaceship Crew Dragon Of SpaceX (Elon Musk’s company that Boeing has positioned itself as a competitor with the Starliner capsule). In all, Wilmore and Williams will remain on the International Space Station 8 months in front of the 8 days initially planned. The decision, which has been in the air since the beginning of August, seriously damages the reputation of Boeing’s space program.
Why NASA Decided Not to Return Astronauts on Starliner
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams landed on the ISS on June 6 as part of the first manned mission of the capsule Boeing Starliner. During the docking phase, however, both NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks from the capsule and they found problems with control thrusters and maneuvering of the spacecraft. In order not to endanger the lives of astronauts, also mindful of tragic episodes such as that of the shuttle Columbia, NASA and Boeing have launched a in-depth investigation on the problem, in order to determine the possible risks for the continuation of the mission.
Saturday August 24thNASA has issued its final decision following the investigation. Although Boeing engineers suggested that there was no significant risk to astronauts in re-entering Starliner, the NASA committee decided unanimously not to allow the two astronauts to return to Earth with the Boeing capsule, and consequently change plans completely for the next missions.
What was supposed to be a mission of just 10 days turned into a long mission of 8 months for the two NASA astronauts. NASA has in fact decided that the Starliner capsule will return to Earth automatically without a crew in September, while the two astronauts will return to February 2025 on board the capsule Space X Dragon. The mission SpaceX Crew-9scheduled to launch in September, will in fact be launched with only two astronauts, instead of four, and with support equipment and new suits for the two NASA astronauts stuck on the ISS.
What impact will the prolonged stay have on the two astronauts?
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams Not they will be but spectators on the ISS. The two will formally continue their work as part of the crew of the Expedition 71/72 until February 2025. Butch and Sunita are two veterans of space flightso the preparation they have undergone is more than sufficient for such a long period of permanence in space. In any case, the two have already integrated into the structure of the ISS, being committed to supporting research, maintenance and testing of the Starliner system and the analysis of data from the station, among other activities.
The impact on Boeing’s plans
It’s pretty obvious that this episode will have a significant impact on Boeing’s plans under the program NASA Commercial Crew (the same one that brought us SpaceX rockets and capsules) for access to space through private companies. Once back on Earth, in fact, the Starliner capsule will be subject to further in-depth analysis, both to understand what caused the failure and to make those necessary corrections For satisfy the requirements NASA certification for manned flight.
