NASA and Boeing are in the final stage of analysing data ahead of a crucial decision regarding the return of the Starliner spacecraft that took astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station (ISS) but could not come back due to technical issues.
The decision will determine whether Starliner will return to Earth with the astronauts aboard, is expected to be taken today, August 24, following an extensive review led by Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate.
Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5. The test flight quickly encountered thruster failures and helium leaks so serious that NASA kept the capsule parked at the station as engineers debated what to do.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX could bring back the astronauts, but that would keep them up there until next February. They were supposed to return after a week or so at the station. If NASA decides SpaceX is the way to go, Starliner would return to Earth empty in September.
American Engineers are evaluating a new model for the Starliner thrusters and how they might perform as the capsule descends out of orbit for a touchdown in the US Western desert. The results, including updated risk analyses, will factor into the final decision, NASA said.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the ISS on Starliner on June 6, meanwhile are working aboard the microgravity laboratory along with Expedition 71 crew. Alongside research and maintenance activities, the crew has been actively supporting preparations for the spacecraft’s potential return, NASA said.
NASA had earlier said in case it is seen that the Starliner cannot return with astronauts, Williams and Wilmore might have to remain in space until February 2025, and brought back via SpaceX Dragon with Crew-9 as part of an “adjusted” mission plan.
Earlier this month that Boeing said, extensive testing of thrusters in space and on the ground demonstrated Starliner’s ability to safely return the astronauts. It was the company’s first astronaut flight, delayed for years by a multitude of capsule problems. Two previous Starliner test flights had no one on board.
According to NASA, both food and oxygen supplies for the astronauts aboard the space station are closely monitored and well within safe limits. Despite the extended mission, NASA has assured that the space station is stocked with ample provisions to support the crew for an extended period, including the possibility of further delays.
NASA officials have clarified that while the malfunctioning thrusters of the Starliner have caused concern, the astronauts are not in immediate danger of running out of food or oxygen.
Amid the growing tensions about their return to Earth, Rudy Ridolfi, former US military Space System Commander, has laid out three horrific scenarios that may unfold should Williams and Wilmore embark on their journey back to Earth in the faulty spacecraft.
The first scenario would involve the Boeing Starliner being stuck in space with failed thrusters and a 96-hour oxygen supply. This is likely to occur if the spacecraft attempts to reenter Earth at the wrong angle, causing the capsule to bounce off the atmosphere.
Secondly, the spacecraft could bounce off the Earth’s atmosphere should its service module fail to line up for re-entry. Third, the worst-case scenario would be the astronauts being vaporized to death in space. Ridolfi noted that the horrific incident could take place if the angle is too steep, leading to an increase in friction and chances of the Starliner burning.
On this situation, ISRO chief S Somanath in a podcast with BeerBiceps said, “Right now we can’t do anything as direct help because we don’t have a craft that will go there up and save her.”
“The only possibilities are either from Russia or the US. The US has the Crew Dragon vehicle which can go and Russia has Soyuz which could bring them. Either of these can only save them,” the ISRO chief said.
He also mentioned that he doesn’t believe there’s a serious issue at this moment with the Starliner and the two astronauts in space.
“The Boeing Starliner showed some anomalies, and [it appears to me that] they [NASA] don’t want to take risks because it has shown some issues in the past, even before launch,” he said.
Somanath said the launches were postponed earlier many times, and finally, NASA took a chance and launched it. “But they don’t want to take the risk in return” mission, he added.
Notably, this flight marks Sunita Williams third journey into space. The 58 year old an Indian American astronaut also made history as the first woman to pilot a spacecraft on its maiden mission.
Sunita Williams practices Hinduism. In December 2006, she took a copy of the Bhagavad Gita to the International Space Station. In July 2012, she took there a symbol ‘Om’ and a copy of the Upanishads. She was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award by the World Gujarati Society, the first person of Indian descent who was not an Indian citizen to be presented the award.
Once while addressing an event in Rotary Club in Ahmedabad Sunita Williams said, “When I landed up in Naval academy I had to adjust to military discipline. The RSS culture of discipline in our family came in handy for me at that stage since my father had been associated with the RSS.”
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