Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024. The mission, initially planned as an eight-day test flight, was intended to demonstrate Starliner’s capabilities for future crewed missions.
Shortly after launch, Boeing’s Starliner encountered several technical issues, including helium leaks and failures in five of its 28 thrusters. These problems raised concerns about the spacecraft's ability to safely return the astronauts to Earth, leading to delays in their planned return.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced that, due to the risks associated with the Starliner’s technical issues, the spacecraft will return to Earth without a crew. The decision prioritizes astronaut safety, with Nelson emphasizing that spaceflight is inherently risky, especially during test missions.
Rudy Ridolfi, a former Space System Commander, outlined three dangerous scenarios if NASA chooses to use the faulty Starliner for the astronauts' return. These scenarios highlight the risks associated with the spacecraft's current issues.
A too-steep reentry angle could cause the Starliner’s heat shield to fail due to increased friction, potentially leading to the capsule burning up in the atmosphere. This scenario poses a severe risk of the astronauts being vaporized during reentry.
If the reentry angle is too shallow, the capsule could bounce off Earth's atmosphere and be thrown back into space. This would leave the astronauts stranded in orbit, requiring an urgent retrieval mission by NASA. With several thrusters already non-functional, there is a risk of further failures during the return.
In this scenario, the astronauts could be left floating in space with only 96 hours of oxygen and power, making it a race against time to fix the issue or risk a fatal outcome.
NASA and Boeing plan to undock the uncrewed Starliner from the ISS in early September 2024. The empty return allows NASA to gather additional testing data on the spacecraft’s performance while avoiding unnecessary risks to the astronauts.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. This marks a significant reshuffling of NASA’s astronaut operations, as the Crew Dragon mission was originally scheduled to carry four astronauts but will now accommodate Williams and Wilmore instead.
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission is now set to launch in late September 2024, after Starliner departs the ISS. The mission will carry only two astronauts to make room for Williams and Wilmore, who will join the Crew-9 team for their return to Earth in February 2025.
The decision to return Starliner uncrewed reflects ongoing challenges faced by Boeing in developing a reliable spacecraft. Despite years of delays and technical issues, NASA and Boeing continue to work on addressing the problems to ensure future missions' success.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, plays a crucial role in bringing Williams and Wilmore back to Earth. The successful integration of Williams and Wilmore into the Crew Dragon mission highlights SpaceX's growing importance in NASA’s human spaceflight program and its ability to step in when other providers face difficulties.