NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over two months due to critical failures in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
Originally intended for an 8-day mission, the astronauts launched on June 5 have remained in space due to faulty thrusters in the Starliner capsule, which are crucial for safe reentry to Earth.
Starliner suffered five thruster failures during its journey to the ISS, raising concerns about the spacecraft's ability to safely return the astronauts to Earth, Daily Mail reported.
Space expert Rudy Ridolfi warns of 3 potential dangers pertaining to Starliner: burning up during reentry, bouncing off Earth's atmosphere, or floating in limbo between ISS and Earth.
If the service module, crucial for reentry, malfunctions, the spacecraft could enter Earth's atmosphere at a wrong angle, potentially causing it to burn up, vaporising the astronauts, the Daily Mail report says.
NASA faces a tough decision: risk the faulty Starliner or send a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a rescue mission. The latter would be a major embarrassment for rival Boeing.
A rescue mission using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon would be only the second space docking mission in history, with NASA needing to train a new team for the complex operation.
Boeing has been conducting ground tests to understand the thruster issues. Recent tests suggest that overheating causes seals to warp, weakening thrust.
Boeing, already under fire for issues with its commercial jets, faces another blow with Starliner's failures. The company has a $4.2 billion contract with NASA.
NASA initially downplayed the risks but has now admitted that Starliner might not survive the journey back to Earth, making the SpaceX rescue option more likely.
As NASA and Boeing work to resolve the issues, the astronauts remain in space, with a potential rescue mission using SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule slated for September.
The fate of the stranded astronauts hinges on NASA’s upcoming decision, with the world watching to see if they’ll return safely or if history will be made with a daring rescue mission.