Amid months of speculation and promises, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) finally confirmed the date of Sunita Williams’ return to Earth on Saturday. The US space agency said the Boeing Starliner capsule will return from the International Space Station without a crew. Sunita Williams and Butch WilmoreMeanwhile, the two astronauts will return to Earth in February 2025 aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Why did NASA postpone Sunita Williams’ return flight until 2025?
NASA officials said Saturday that it is “too risky” to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams back to Earth at this time. Starliner The spacecraft will return to Earth without the two astronauts.
“Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s mission. SpaceX Crew-9 “Starliner is expected to lift off from the space station and perform a safe, controlled, autonomous reentry and landing in early September,” ANI quoted NASA as saying in a statement.
How did Elon Musk’s SpaceX come to the rescue?
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is currently the only American company capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. Although there is currently a SpaceX capsule stationed at the ISS, it is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They are scheduled to return in September of this year. SpaceX’s next space flight is planned for September of this year.
There is another spacecraft docked at the ISS, the Russian Soyuz capsule. But the Russian capsule is even more cramped, as it can only carry three astronauts. The capsule is planned to bring back two Russian astronauts who complete a one-year mission.
SpaceX’s next taxi flight was initially planned to carry four astronauts, but will now carry two to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight in late February.
Helium leaks on Boeing Starliner
Boeing’s Starliner suffered repeated failures even before its launch from Earth earlier this year. NASA and Boeing discovered helium leaks and there were complaints of problems with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters on June 6.
Since then, engineering teams have done a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting in-flight and ground testing, conducting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts and developing several contingency plans for return. However, the uncertainty does not meet safety standards, making the return of Williams and Wilmore “risky.”
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