Two astronauts stranded in space after Boeing Starliner spacecraft crashes, without…

June 27, 2024, 08:47

Two astronauts are stranded in space because their Boeing Starliner spacecraft cannot return to Earth.

Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams were scheduled to remain in orbit for eight days after reaching the International Space Station, following their June 5 launch from Earth.

However, they remain in space because the capsule suffered five helium leaks, five damaged maneuvering engines and problems with the fuel valve.

This was the first crewed test of the Starliner capsule before it could be certified for regular trips to the space station.

NASA and Boeing have tried to bring astronauts home three times, but there is no official return date yet. It has been reported that July 6 is currently the unofficial date penciled in for the next rehearsal.

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A Boeing spokesman said they have “postponed the return of Starliner crew flight testing to coincide with two planned spacewalks on Monday, June 24 and Tuesday, July 2.”

If this were the case, it would mean astronauts would be in space for a month, not just a week as originally planned.

The astronauts have plenty of supplies and spent time testing key systems to make sure they are working properly.

Their spacecraft can comfortably remain docked at the international space station for 45 days, but up to 72 days if it uses backup systems.

And if NASA bosses decide the Starliner can’t bring them home safely, they could take them home on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which is also attached to the space station and can carry more people in an emergency.

There is no indication this would be needed, both NASA and Boeing said.

Boeing said: “The crew is not pressed for time to leave the station because there are plenty of supplies in orbit and the station’s operating schedule is relatively open until mid-August.”

Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, told reporters: “We are taking our time and following the mission management team’s standard procedure.

“We let the data guide our decision-making with respect to managing the small helium leaks and engine performance that we observed during the rendezvous and docking.”