Washington: As the suspense continues on the return of NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the American space agency said that there is ‘no urgent need to bring them home’. The astronauts have been stuck in the space for more than two months now due to a technical fault in the Boeing Starliner Spacecraft.
But What If an Emergency Occurs in Space?
Sharing their emergency backup plan, NASA said, “In case of an emergency, the astronauts will have to rapidly depart the station as Starliner remains the primary option for them.”
‘There is no urgent need to bring them home, and we are using extra time to understand the spacecraft’s technical issues before chalking out a return plan,’ NASA said.
Technical Faults in Boeing’s Starliner
The two NASA astronauts were on a seven-day mission to test the Starliner and certify it for human flights. However, issues came up with the spacecraft, forcing them to remain aboard the flying laboratory for over two months now. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore got stuck in space after their Starliner spacecraft experienced trouble in the propulsion system.
Thruster failures during its initial approach to the ISS in June and subsequent helium leaks have raised significant alarms about the capsule’s ability to return to Earth, safely.
The astronauts may have to remain in space until February 2025, returning not in the Starliner but likely in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, due to ongoing safety concerns with the Boeing spacecraft.
Possible Congestion at Space
The space agency has been staring at a possible “congestion” aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to the launch of its upcoming mission, ‘Crew-9’, which is scheduled to depart for space on August 18, as per media reports. The problem of possible congestion is arising as the (ISS) can accommodate a total of three to six astronauts at a time. Given the launch of ‘Crew-9’, the additional spacecraft set for space will take with it four astronauts to the ISS.
Sunita Williams in Space: ‘No Urgent Need To Bring Them Back,’ Says NASA; Shares Emergency Plan-B world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
