2024-08-24 19:25:00
They should have been back on Earth long ago, but the return of the two US astronauts from the ISS space station is delayed once again. Now NASA plans to pick them up in February – with a SpaceX spacecraft instead of Boeing.
Two astronauts, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) much longer than initially planned due to issues with Boeing’s “Starliner,” are now set to return to Earth only next February.
This was announced by the US space agency NASA during a press conference. The two will use a different spacecraft, namely SpaceX’s “Crew Dragon.” The decision was made for safety reasons, said NASA chief Bill Nelson.
Mission was supposed to last only a week
NASA astronaut Suni Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore arrived at the ISS in early June with the first crewed test flight of the “Starliner.” The mission was originally planned to last about a week, but numerous technical problems occurred with the “Starliner,” including helium leaks and issues with the engines.
Following this, NASA deliberated for a long time on whether it was better to bring the two astronauts back with the “Starliner” or, as now announced, to wait months until the “Crew Dragon,” which is set to launch in September, brings them back to Earth.
Boeing’s series of mishaps continues
The “Starliner” from the recently troubled US aerospace company Boeing is a partially reusable spacecraft that consists of a crew capsule about three meters high and a service module. Unlike SpaceX’s “Crew Dragon,” it does not land on water but on solid ground.
In May 2022, the “Starliner” successfully completed its first unmanned flight to the ISS, spending four days there. In the future, it is supposed to serve as an alternative to the “Crew Dragon” capsule for transporting astronauts to the ISS.