Astronauts stranded in space after shuttle malfunctions

Sunita Williams, a US Indian astronaut, and colleague Buth Wilmore have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) after NASA further delayed their return.  

Their journey, which began in early June, was initially planned for a brief eight-day stay at the ISS. However, their shuttle, the Starliner, encountered a series of complex mechanical issues, including four helium leaks and five malfunctioning thrusters, during its approach to the ISS. These challenges have necessitated a two-week extension to their mission.  

As the delay in their return continues, NASA and Boeing, the shuttle’s manufacturers, are actively working to identify the root causes of the malfunctions and develop effective solutions. This thorough investigation is the reason for the extended delay, with no specific timeline for the Starliner’s return or the astronauts’ homecoming.  

In a blog post, NASA said: “NASA and Boeing’s leadership are adjusting the return to Earth of the Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft.  

“The move off Wednesday, June 26th, deconflicts Starliner’s undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to review propulsion system data.”  

However, NASA could retrieve the astronauts via other space shuttles. Katsuo Kuribayashi, a professor at New York University, said, “It is possible that NASA could decide to use an alternative spacecraft, like SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, to bring the astronauts home safely. 

“As far as I can at this point, the recent delay of the mission to July alone shouldn’t raise serious concerns leading to another highly challenging rescue mission or the future abandonment of Starliner-based missions. 

“But if they start talking about a rescue mission by chance, it will indicate that there are some serious, potentially life-threatening hardware defects found with Starliner.” 

Regarding when the astronauts will be returning to Earth, NASA has confirmed that they have been evaluating return dates for after the ISS’ two planned spacewalks on June 24th and July 2nd, meaning that Williams and Wilmore will have to sit tight for another week at least.