What is the fate of NASA astronauts stuck in the space station?

When the astronauts launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a test mission, the duo was supposed to return home after just eight days. But the spacecraft, which had been delayed and had problems even before liftoff, encountered some problems during its journey, prompting engineers to delay the mission to fix them.

Now NASA says it’s not yet certain the Starliner will be able to safely return the crew as planned, and they may instead have to fly home in February on a SpaceX spacecraft.

Why were the astronauts stuck?

Safety concerns repeatedly delayed the astronauts’ return to Earth in the Starliner spacecraft, leaving them stranded for more than two months.

However, NASA has confirmed that the astronauts are not completely stranded, because in the event of an emergency on board the space station, they will be able to return home.

What are the problems facing Starliner?

The main problem is a propulsion system failure that was noticed when Starliner arrived to dock with the space station in June. Engineers are also concerned about a leak of helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters.

Boeing had been testing the spacecraft remotely to try to understand the problems and find solutions, hoping to reassure NASA that it was safe to bring the astronauts home. But that test revealed more problems, prompting NASA to say the return was in doubt.

How will astronauts get home?

Boeing still hopes to resolve concerns about Starliner. NASA said it is still working with the company “to assess the readiness of the spacecraft, and no decisions have been made about its return.” That decision may not be made until mid-August.

If Boeing’s case holds, the astronauts will return home as planned, albeit on a different schedule.

However, if the engineers’ concerns persist, the astronauts will return home on a SpaceX flight scheduled to begin in late September. It is currently planned to take four astronauts, but if necessary, two will be left behind, and the Starliner test crew will occupy those seats instead on the return flight to Earth scheduled for next February.

Most of the current concerns are about Starliner’s safety if it’s left too long, and the fear that it could run out of resources with too long a delay. Starliner is rated for a 90-day stay, and it’s now been on the space station for just over 60 days, so time is running out.

NASA has been able to send up additional supplies in the meantime to keep the astronauts comfortable. This week, a SpaceX rocket carried a Northrop Grumman supply capsule containing food and supplies, including more food and clothing for Starliner test pilots.

What would happen to Starliner if the astronauts landed another way?

Boeing said that if the astronauts have to return home on a different flight, it will “take the necessary steps to adjust Starliner for uncrewed return.”

It will have to do this because it needs to free up the docking port that SpaceX’s next spacecraft will use.

This likely means that at least most of the spacecraft will burn up upon re-entry into Earth.

In fact, this plan is one of the reasons behind the delay in implementation, as engineers will lose most of the spacecraft on its journey through the atmosphere, so they want more time to preserve as much of the structure as possible to better understand what might have happened to the vehicle.

Did this affect any other tasks?

The problem has already affected missions to the space station, with NASA saying this week that a group of four astronauts that was supposed to launch this month will instead go next month. There are only two docking slots for American capsules on the space station, and both are currently occupied, since Starliner has been there longer than expected. That also means SpaceX’s four-person crew that arrived in March will stay longer than planned.

Source: Independent