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NASA Reveals ISS Astronauts on Eight-Day Mission Might Stay Until 2025
In an unexpected turn of events, two American astronauts who embarked on what was intended to be an eight-day mission in June may find themselves residing on the International Space Station (ISS) until 2025, according to recent statements from NASA officials. The situation has arisen due to ongoing concerns about the safety of the Boeing Starliner capsule for the crew's return to Earth.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who made history as the inaugural crew to pilot Boeing's Starliner, now face the possibility of an extended stay in space. NASA has revealed that if the Starliner is deemed unfit for their return journey, the astronauts might need to rely on SpaceX's Crew Dragon for their homecoming, potentially delaying their return until February 2025.
The space agency has been in discussions with SpaceX about the possibility of leaving two seats vacant on an upcoming Crew Dragon launch. This launch, originally slated for mid-August, has now been pushed back to after September 24, as NASA and Boeing work through the logistics of bringing Wilmore and Williams back to Earth.
The root of the problem lies in issues discovered within the Starliner's propulsion system. These concerns have cast doubt on the spacecraft's capability to safely transport the astronauts back to Earth as initially planned. Boeing has identified problems including unexpected thruster malfunctions and helium leaks following rigorous ground tests.
Despite these setbacks, Boeing maintained in an August 2 statement that their "confidence remains high in Starliner's return with crew." However, recent reports suggest that behind-the-scenes discussions between NASA and Boeing have been more contentious than publicly acknowledged.
A recent meeting of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which oversees the Starliner project, ended without a clear consensus. Some officials expressed reservations about accepting Boeing's testing data and using the Starliner for the astronauts' return journey. Steve Stich, the Commercial Crew Program chief, stated, "We didn't poll in a way that led to a conclusion," while Ken Bowersox, NASA's space operations chief, added, "We heard from a lot of folks that had concerns, and the decision was not clear."
The Starliner has been docked to the ISS for 63 days out of its maximum 90-day stay limit. It currently occupies the same port that the Crew Dragon will need to use for the upcoming astronaut crew delivery.
Space experts emphasize that encountering unexpected issues during experimental spaceflights is not uncommon. Jerry Stone, senior associate of the Space Studies Institute, noted, "It's defined as a test mission; it's called a crewed test flight, and one of its purposes is to deal with unplanned issues."
Nevertheless, the stakes remain high for Boeing, which has been navigating through a series of challenges in recent years. Mark Nappi, Boeing's commercial crew program manager, expressed regret for being overly "emphatic" about the mission's initial eight-day duration, stating, "It's my regret that we didn't just say we're going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to do."
As NASA and Boeing continue to work towards a resolution, the space community watches with keen interest, awaiting the next chapter in this unexpected cosmic saga.