On 6th June, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived on board the International Space Station (ISS), but their return to Earth is in doubt after a series of delays that may not allow them to touch down until February next year.
The flight was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex-41 by Starliner – a Boeing company – on June 5 before heading to the space laboratory on June 6.
Originally expected back within a week, they might now have to stay for over eight months due to severe Starliner issues.
In case NASA goes ahead with an uncrewed return of Starliner, Sunita and Butch will be left behind aboard the station until late February 2025.
In September NASA would replan its Crew-9 mission by just sending two crew members instead of four. Next year early after the usual Crew-9 increment, two stranded astronauts will then come back home.
If SpaceX is chosen as the firm responsible for bringing back Sunita and Butch, reports indicate that it would be very embarrassing for its rival Boeing.
This should be called at the end of August or before this date as NASA officials averred in last week of August during a press event.”
Bowersox said the astronaut
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