NASA revealed that they still need some days to evaluate how long it would take to bring two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, back home who have been stuck in the International Space Station since June after going on an 8-day test trip.
The space agency believes that the best option is to attach the astronauts with another mission that could possibly bring them back to Earth in February next year.
The two astronauts found themselves stuck in space after traveling in the Boeing Starliner which developed mechanical issues in its thruster system and became unsafe for any further manned space travel.
Now, the astronauts who were expecting to come back home after only an eight-day trip are stranded for an indefinite period of time as NASA stakeholders explore different options to ensure the astronauts’ safety. According to NASA, bringing them back on the same spaceship is a risky situation as the Starliner has the possibility of burning to ashes after entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
If NASA finalizes to bring them back in February 2025, they will be attached to SpaceX’s Dragon Ship that plans to leave Earth next month.
However, following this route is also a risky approach as both astronauts are continuously exposed to dangerous radiation in space that dramatically enhances their chances of developing cancer later in their lives. Although the ISS has been working hard to reduce the exposure of radiation to astronauts in general, people present at the space station are usually exposed to 365 times more radiation compared to what people on Earth have to face.
Another major trouble is the clothing of both the astronauts as Dragon Ship does not support spacesuits they are currently wearing, which essentially means that they will have to come back unsuited and expose their bodies to further risks.
Boeing still believes that their Starliner can bring both the astronauts unharmed, but NASA argues that it can put the astronauts’ lives in danger, although the space agency also maintains that they trust the capabilities of the Starliner.
Previously, a Boeing spokesperson noted that they are constantly communicating with NASA to understand their plans and bring their Starliner unmanned if the space agency finalizes its plans to go with the SpaceX route.
Joe Acaba, NASA’s chief astronaut, noted that Williams, Wilmore, and every astronaut, in general, start their journey by keeping different possible scenarios in mind, as he went on to say that both of them have now been completely integrated with the ISS crew.
