The TV series about the two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station continues, but NASA will decide Saturday whether their stay in space is a long one or a very long one. Then it will decide whether Boeing’s troubled Starliner is fit to return the couple to Earth in September.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the International Space Station for nearly 80 days, a long time considering their mission was only supposed to last seven days. They arrived at the ISS aboard a Boeing Starliner, but the spacecraft suffered several propulsion failures during docking. After the astronauts were safely inside the space station, NASA also discovered four helium leaks in the spacecraft.
The reason Wilmore and Williams have waited so long to return home is because of the new investigations that had to be carried out on board the Starliner. Boeing and NASA still do not know what caused the thrusters to fail. This makes Saturday’s meeting even more exciting and has already been reported by the American media. One of the most important safety decisions Created by NASA in recent years.
A so-called Flight Readiness Review (FRR) will determine whether Wilmore and Williams can return to Starliner. They could return to Earth as early as September, but NASA is taking a big gamble. The previously failed thrusters are essential for reentry, and their failure could have deadly consequences.
All or nothing…or SpaceX?
So Saturday’s decision must be unanimous, and if NASA decides to scrap Starliner, Boeing risks losing billions in investment. Many future spaceflights commissioned by NASA are also at risk.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk is laughing with his rival SpaceX in hand. Their Dragon spaceship is Plan B and has several successful spaceflights to its name. It’s still a bitter pill for the astronauts, though, because they won’t be able to return home with the Dragon until February 2025 at the earliest. They’ll then have to travel in the cargo hold, or NASA and SpaceX will have to leave two other astronauts at home to free up seats.
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