Sunita Williams May Have To Wait Months In Space. What NASA Is Planning Now

Sunita Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, might have to stay in space for several months before returning to Earth. Initially, their mission was supposed to last only a few days, but now there’s no clear date for their return.

Steve Stich, the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, mentioned that NASA is thinking about extending the Starliner’s mission from 45 days to 90 days, according to a CNN report. This decision comes after the spacecraft faced issues like helium leaks and thruster problems on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) in early June.

During a briefing on Friday, Stich said, “We’re just looking at the timeline to execute the test in New Mexico and then review the data.” He added, “And that’s what’s really the long pole, I would say, determining a landing date.” He emphasized that NASA is not in a hurry to bring the astronauts back home.

The reason for this possible extension is to allow Boeing and NASA to conduct ground tests in New Mexico. These tests aim to understand why some of the Starliner’s thrusters failed during its journey. Engineers, including Mark Nappi from Boeing, are still unsure about the exact cause of these issues. Nappi explained that if the tests provide all the answers, they can undock and return home. However, if more tests are needed, they want the Starliner to stay in space to gather all necessary information.

Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore have joined the rest of the ISS crew and are performing routine tasks. The Starliner faced several helium leaks and thruster issues on its way to the ISS. The spacecraft’s service module, which provides power during flight, also had problems. This module is designed to be jettisoned and destroyed upon reentry to Earth, which is why NASA and Boeing decided to keep the Starliner docked at the ISS while they investigate the issues.

It’s still uncertain whether NASA will extend the mission to 90 days. Stich mentioned that they need to ensure the Starliner’s batteries can last that long. Although the batteries are being recharged at the ISS, they need to function properly for the extended duration.

The spaceflight industry often faces delays and cost overruns, and Boeing has had its share of challenges, especially when compared to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Crew Dragon, part of the same NASA program, completed its first test flight in 2020 and has been conducting regular missions since then. Unlike Boeing, SpaceX had the advantage of building on its previous Cargo Dragon vehicle.

Nappi stated, “We’ve got a really good test flight that’s been accomplished so far, and it’s being viewed rather negatively.”

In the latest update, the Expedition 71 crew members packed a US cargo craft, cleaned the ISS, studied advanced piloting techniques, and conducted eye exams. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts spent the day reconfiguring a space botany facility. NASA’s live blog mentioned that the Cygnus space freighter would be detached from the Unity module on July 12 and released into Earth orbit for disposal over the South Pacific Ocean, ending its five-and-a-half-month mission.

NASA Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick spent most of Friday loading trash and discarding gear inside the Cygnus, with help from fellow astronauts Jeanette Epps and Tracy C Dyson. Epps also conducted eye exams on Dyson to help understand the effects of microgravity on vision.

Earlier, Dyson collected and stowed excess hardware for disposal. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt worked on reprogramming communication systems and refilling supply kits with biomedical gear.

On Friday, Wilmore and Williams conducted space botany work in the Kibo module. They replaced the camera and carbon dioxide sensors in the Plant Habitat growth chamber.

NASA’s live blog also mentioned that NASA and Boeing are still evaluating the Starliner’s propulsion system before returning to Earth. They participated in a media teleconference to discuss the Starliner and ISS operations.

NASA is now aiming for the end of July for the next spacewalk outside the ISS. This delay allows ground teams to troubleshoot a water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit that cut short a spacewalk on June 24.

Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub practiced piloting techniques for future missions and explored ways to create new materials on the lunar surface. Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin inventoried medical kits and cleaned fans inside the Rassvet module, and Station Commander Oleg Kononenko replaced thermal components in Roscosmos’ life support hardware.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)