Astronaut Suni Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore spent nearly a week preparing for their aboard the ISS space station. But their spacecraft is causing problems. Nearly three months have passed since their arrival – and it is still unclear how they will return to Earth.
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Tip from Apple: Create ringtones with GarageBandNASA has to make one of the most difficult decisions in its history – and now it has set a deadline of the end of the month. The US space agency NASA initially said that Williams spent time with his dogs and Wilmore mowed the lawn in his garden before the flight in early June. Everything is completely normal and calm. But things turned out differently.
The problem is called “Starliner”. During the first manned test flight of the spacecraft to the ISS, Williams and Wilmore arrived safely, but there were, among other things, problems with a helium leak and engines. The return flight, originally planned for mid-June, was canceled. Williams and Wilmore have been stuck on the space station ever since.
Risky or time consuming option?
NASA is facing a difficult question: can two astronauts return to Earth in the “Starliner”? To find out, teams from NASA and manufacturer Boeing have been testing and investigating for weeks in space and on Earth. It is being said that this has not yet brought any clarity. NASA manager Ken Bowersox says the teams did a “very good job” – but at the same time he also spoke of “painful discussions”.
Two options in particular are being discussed: a risky return with the “Starliner” or switching to a flight with the “Crew Dragon”. For the first version, the problems that have arisen with the engines and the helium leak will have to be finally clarified and eliminated – which has not been possible so far. Alternatively, the “Starliner” could fly back to Earth without the two astronauts, which would require extensive, time-consuming software reconfiguration.
The launch of “Crew 9” with SpaceX’s “Crew Dragon”, which was postponed from August to September due to existing problems, will then be carried out with only two astronauts instead of four. Williams and Wilmore will be part of this crew and will probably return to Earth with their two colleagues in early 2025. They will need special spacesuits for this, since you cannot fly in the “Crew Dragon” with only the “Starliner”. NASA and SpaceX have not yet revealed who from the original crew will not fly in this case.
data-driven decisions
“We don’t want to make this decision based on how we feel, but solely on the data,” says NASA manager Bowersox. Ultimately, the decision depends on NASA boss Bill Nelson. He emphasizes via the online platform X that the safety of the astronauts is always the top priority. In any case, Williams and Wilmore still have to prepare for more time on the ISS. With the “Starliner” they could possibly return to Earth in September at the earliest, with the “Crew Dragon” possibly in February – in which case their week on the ship would turn into about nine months.
The 58-year-old and 61-year-old are experienced astronauts, this is not their first time in space and on the ISS and both have been trained for all eventualities, NASA repeatedly emphasizes. They are involved in all discussions and are “ready to do whatever needs to be done,” says NASA manager Steve Stich.
More food is eaten
“With a test flight like this, you’re always prepared for the possibility that it might take longer,” says NASA manager Joel Montalbano. “But they’re doing well, they’re fully integrated with the rest of the crew and are just as busy as the other crew out there. Of course they’re human too and all of this is difficult for the crew members and their families. We know that. But they’re professional astronauts and they’re doing great.”
NASA repeatedly emphasizes that Williams and Wilmore are a huge extra help on the ISS – but the two also use additional resources such as food and hygiene items. In addition, they are now exposed to high radiation there for longer than originally estimated.
Does Starliner have a future?
Despite all the thoughts about astronautics, there is also the future of the “Starliner” in the background. The spacecraft, developed and built by aerospace company Boeing on behalf of NASA, was in fact supposed to regularly bring astronauts to the ISS for a long time – as an alternative to the “Crew Dragon” of the space company SpaceX, run by tech billionaire Elon Musk, which has been doing this reliably for years.
But the partially reusable spacecraft, consisting of a capsule for the crew and a service module, is extremely troubled: the spacecraft did not even reach the ISS in the first unmanned test in 2019, and the second one in 2022 succeeded, but the number of tests after that again raised problems and led to several postponements.
NASA manager Bowersox emphasizes that they definitely want to stick to the idea of two alternative transportation systems. The problems can be solved, “and then I see a bright future for Starliner.” Boeing also emphasizes this repeatedly – just like Bowersox, they have “huge respect for the Boeing team.” The manager also says, “The answer is always in the data.”
(Mac)
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