Astronauts Trapped in Space Indefinitely – Teach Me About Science

Space exploration is one of the main interests of humans, which is why they constantly seek to improve the artifacts they already have in order to continue their search for knowledge.

Boeing recently sent its first crewed mission into space: the Starliner, with two passengers on board: astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Sunni” Williams.

The mission of Boeing’s reusable Starliner spacecraft is to transport the crew to the International Space Station. Its first manned flight had been planned since 2017, but was postponed, and only this year, on June 5, did it successfully fly beyond Earth, docking with the International Space Station just one day after launch.

However, the mission did not go as planned, as the astronauts were “stranded” in space, which is why a series of speculations began about the astronauts’ return to Earth, which was scheduled to take place on June 14.

Moments before liftoff, helium leaks were detected; however, the spacecraft made its flight from a pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5 and docked with the International Space Station’s Harmony module the next day.

Although the mission was scheduled to last only a few days, the return of the ship with the astronauts to Earth was postponed due to Technical faultsSo options are open for astronauts Barry and Sunita to return to Earth, leaving the possibility that the mission becomes a rescue mission and the SpaceX Dragon capsule is the alternative until they can return home.

If this option is implemented, it will be embarrassing for Boeing, as the company is in the eye of the hurricane, because this is not the first time that a problem has appeared with its ships. With regard to its commercial ships, a series of problems have arisen that have caused serious damage to its reputation.

Furthermore, Boeing and NASA’s silence has only fueled speculation, so we can only wait for the space agency or company to comment on the matter.

Currently, NASA has planned for the astronauts to return to Earth on July 2, while they review the ship to make sure everything is under control and that the helium malfunctions found are still minimal. However, that date is also not realistic, as the astronauts’ return was originally scheduled for June 26, and that too had to be postponed.

Boeing intends, with its Starliner ship, to obtain certification from NASA, which, if so, will be able to make its first operational flight to the International Space Station in February 2025.