NASA postpones return of stranded Starliner astronauts until March

NASA has returned to postponed the return to Earth of Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station after Boeing’s Starliner capsule failed in the middle of this year.

The spacecraft crew arrived at the ISS in June. The goal was to test the Starliner’s comprehensive capabilities, including launch, docking and return systems. The mission was scheduled to last a week. Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed to function before docking with the ISS. Boeing claimed its technology could ensure the safe return of astronauts. However, NASA expressed doubt and concluded that the risk was too high. The agency entrusted the task to SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s company launched the Crew-9 mission in September to, among other things, return Williams and Wilmore. Until now, stuck astronauts were scheduled to back in february aboard the Crew Dragon rocket. However, NASA has announced that it expects the expedition to return to the Earth’s surface following the arrival of Crew-10, which will be sent by the end of March 2025 at the earliest.

The adjustment will allow SpaceX and NASA engineers to finish development of a new Dragon spacecraft, which will be delivered to the company’s Florida facility early next month.

“Manufacturing, assembly, testing and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking effort that requires great attention to detail,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard work of the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station’s schedule and expedition crews as we work together to complete the preparation of the new capsule for flight.”

NASA said the crews of Crew-9 and Crew-10 must complete a “handover period,” during which ISS residents share experiences and knowledge with the newcomers. This process ensures the proper conduct of scientific experiments on board and the maintenance of the orbital complex.

NASA and SpaceX specialists evaluated several options to coordinate the next manned delivery. They determined that the March launch of Crew-10 was the “best option to meet NASA requirements and achieve the space station’s 2025 goals,” according to a news release from the agency.

A long journey

The ISS received two resupply flights in November, ensuring crew members had enough food, water, clothing and oxygen. However, some experts have warned of possible health risks to Wilmore and Williams after spending more than nine months in space.

The scientific community has been studying the effects of space flight on the human body since the 1970s. In the years since the first moon landing, has identified conditions such as bone loss, weakened heart function, visual problems and the development of kidney stones.

A recent study from University College London reveals that the structure and function of the kidneys can also suffer permanent damage, although this is especially aggressive in the cases of astronauts who travel too far from Earth, which does not happen on the ISS.

NASA points out that the crews of expeditions to the ISS usually carry out long stays, with an average duration of six months. He adds that some astronauts have carried out missions of up to a year to contribute to research on human adaptation to space flight, with a view to future lunar and Martian explorations.

This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish and has been translated from Spanish.