- Astronauts have been stuck on the ISS for months. There could be more.
Due to issues with the troubled spacecraft "Starliner", two NASA astronauts must prepare for several more months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They arrived over two months ago for a mission initially planned to last around a week. There is still no fixed return date, NASA announced at a press conference.
Currently, two options are being discussed: firstly, the originally planned return of astronaut Suni Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore aboard the "Starliner". However, the issues with the engines and helium leaks still need to be resolved, which has not yet been achieved.
The second option is that the "Starliner" could return to Earth unmanned, but this would also require a comprehensive software reconfiguration. The launch of "Crew 9" with the "Crew Dragon" by SpaceX, recently postponed from August to September due to these difficulties, could then only be carried out with two astronauts instead of four. Williams and Wilmore would be part of this crew and would return to Earth with their two colleagues in February 2025.
ISS astronauts "ready to do whatever is needed"
Williams and Wilmore are currently a great help with activities aboard the ISS and are involved in all discussions, said NASA manager Steve Stich. "They are ready to do whatever is needed." A final decision on the next steps is likely to be made by mid-August.
The "Starliner" is a partially reusable spacecraft consisting of a roughly three-meter-high capsule for the crew and a service module. Unlike the "Crew Dragon" by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, it does not land on water but on Earth.
"Starliner" in operation since 2022
The spacecraft set off on its first manned test flight from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida in early June after years of delays. In May 2022, the "Starliner" successfully completed its first unmanned flight to the ISS and spent four days there. In the future, it is intended to transport astronauts to the ISS as an alternative to the "Crew Dragon" spacecraft.
Despite the ongoing issues with the engines and helium leaks on the NASA's "Starliner," the astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore are still participating in discussions about the spacecraft's return. They are ready to accommodate any necessary adjustments, as stated by NASA manager Steve Stich.
The NASA's "Starliner," launched in 2022, is currently facing challenges that have impacted its initial mission to transport astronauts to the ISS. The spacecraft, unlike SpaceX's "Crew Dragon," does not land on water but instead returns to Earth after its missions.
