NASA Astronauts Space Stay Prolonged For A Few Months!
The meeting concluded and NASA took a big decision on the return of astronauts and when they would be brought to Earth safely.
By: Tupaki Desk | 26 Aug 2024 7:13 AM GMTAll eyes were on the crucial meeting held by NASA as it was called to decide the fate of the astronauts who could not return to Earth as per the schedule. The meeting concluded and NASA took a big decision on the return of astronauts and when they would be brought to Earth safely.
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in Boeing's Starliner earlier in June. As per the schedule they were supposed to finish the mission and return to Earth in a few days. But things started to take a different turn with Starlink developing issues delaying their return.
Their stay was extended in space for a few more months due to the condition. Starliner is said to be unfit to carry the astronauts and hence they have to wait for a few more months.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule would bring the astronauts back to Earth.NASA said that the astronauts would continue their work throughout their stay in space for the next few months.
NASA said that the return of Starlink will help NASA and Boeing to gather testing data on Starliner. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and reach Earth soon.
Boeing's Starliner was supposed to carry out the mission long back. However, a few aspects delayed the process. When the mission was started it sustained many issues. Starliner suffered technical issues and helium leaks were also reported.
The mission was planned for a few days. It was started on June 5th and the vehicle was supposed to return to Earth in eight days. However, this did not happen due to the issues in the vehicle.