Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 10:30 pm
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space since June 6, when the two were supposed to spend eight days at the International Space Station but have remained there for over two months. It remains to be seen on August 24 whether NASA will send back the astronauts via Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft or via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Review of Starliner, Dragon Options by NASA
NASA now says it won’t make a final decision on whether to return Sunita Williams and Wilmore to Earth aboard Boeing’s Starliner or SpaceX’s Dragon until after the agency-level review. The agency has been studying the technical problems that plagued Starliner when it encountered thruster failures along with helium leaks in its propulsion system.
Engineers have since restored functionality to four of the five malfunctioning thrusters, but there is continued concern over the readiness of the spacecraft for a safe return to Earth. NASA officials were not convinced, although Boeing has assured them that Starliner is safe.
SpaceX Dragon Capsule as Contingency
It will undock uncrewed from the ISS if NASA decides the Starliner is not fit for the return journey. In that case, Sunita Williams and Wilmore would return on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The return journey is planned for Feb 2025 because of the SpaceX delay in launching its Crew-9 mission to the ISS.
Missions on Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon
Boeings Starliner and SpaceXs Dragon space capsules were built under NASAs Commercial Crew Programme to ferry astronauts and cargo back and forth to the ISS. After major investments and years of development troubles, both spacecraft remain at the heart of NASA’s plans for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Boeing invested over $1.5 billion in the Starliner program, with an additional investment of around $4.2 billion by NASA. Starliner flew its first mission in June 2023 after its previous failure and years of delays. SpaceX Dragon has completed around 12 flights to ISS since their first crewed launch back in 2020.
Space Travel in the Upcoming Years
Whichever way NASA decides, whichever is the safest to get Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back home, such will have high implications for future manned space missions and continuous partnership between Boeing and SpaceX in the Commercial Crew Programme by NASA.
