NASA astronauts’ Extended Stay Due to Starliner Technical Issues
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth on March 16 after an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA officials confirmed on March 7. The two astronauts, who flew to the ISS in June as the first crew aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, were initially scheduled to return after just one week. However, technical problems with the spacecraft led to a much longer mission.
Their return has been contingent on the arrival of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which will transport Crew-10’s four-person team to the ISS. This ensures that the station maintains the necessary number of American astronauts for ongoing operations.
SpaceX Crew Dragon to Bring Astronauts Home
Williams and Wilmore will depart the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon crew spacecraft alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. NASA has stated that their return will take place “a few days” after the Crew-10 mission launches, which is currently scheduled for March 12.
The delay in their return has drawn attention, particularly after former President Donald Trump publicly urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in January to expedite their return. However, NASA had already planned for an extended stay due to Starliner’s technical setbacks.
Starliner Faced Multiple Setbacks
Starliner’s mission encountered significant difficulties. While approaching the ISS in June, five of its 28 manoeuvring thrusters failed, and its propulsion system experienced helium leaks, which are critical for pressurisation. These issues made it unsafe for the spacecraft to bring the crew back to Earth. As a result, Starliner returned unmanned, landing safely in New Mexico on September 6.
With their return now scheduled, Williams and Wilmore are expected to conclude a mission that was supposed to last only a week but instead stretched for months due to technical failures. Their homecoming will mark the resolution of a challenging period for Boeing’s Starliner programme.
With inputs from Reuters