Why is NASA delaying the rescue of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore?

New Delhi: Two astronauts who are stuck in space for months aboard the International Space Station, Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore are set to remain there for at least until late March. The reports were confirmed by NASA on Tuesday.

Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams arrived at the ISS in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and were due to spend eight days on the orbiting laboratory.

 

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BHoweverproblems arose with the Starliner’s propulsion system was during the flight there, so NASA opted for a big change in plans.

After weeks of intensive tests on the Starliner, the space agency decided to return it to Earth without its crew and to bring the two stranded astronauts back home with the members of a SpaceX mission called Crew-9. Crew-9’s two astronauts arrived at the ISS aboard a Dragon spacecraft in late September, with two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams. The plan was for all four to return home in February 2025.

But NASA said Tuesday that Crew-10, which would relieve Crew-9 and the stranded pair, would now launch no earlier than March 2025, and both teams would remain on board for a “handover period.”

 

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Are the NASA astronauts really struck?

While the astronauts continue their work in the ISS space station, one cannot help but wonder why it is difficult for a space agency like NASA to return their astronauts from space. But the million-dollar question is are the two struck in space?

For the unversed, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are not technically stuck, nor are they alone. They are safe on the International Space Station (ISS), which is appropriately equipped and stocked with essentials.

 

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The ISS has been a stopover destination for cosmonauts and astronauts who want to conduct space research. Moreover, the ISS is a spacious space station with all the requisite supplies to make an astronaut comfortable for 6-8 months. Naturally, the space agency has shown no urgency in bringing back the astronauts.

 

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Furthermore, according to NASA reports both astronauts are not struck permanently in space. The Crew Dragon which will bring Sunita Williams back can ferry up to seven astronauts, but NASA has so far used it for no more than four astronauts. As such Sunit and Wilmore’s stay in space is merely extending rather than being stuck there permanently.