Astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague, astronaut Butch Wilmore, who traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) in June, could have to stay longer in area due to technical points with boeing‘s Starliner and delays within the subsequent crew launch.
The astronauts who went on June 5, 2024, had been initially set to return in February 2025, however Nasa introduced on Tuesday that they’ll stay aboard until a minimum of late March.
The duo went to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner for what was meant to be an 8-day mission. But issues with the Starliner, like helium leaks and weak thrusters, compelled Nasa to ship it again to Earth empty in September. The astronauts stayed on the station, persevering with their work whereas NASA adjusted its plans.
The delay is due to preparations for a brand new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with Nasa and SpaceX selecting to prioritize security over velocity. “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” Steve Stich, head of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, was quoted as saying to CBS News.
The Crew-9 mission, which included Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, was launched to the ISS on September 30 to substitute Williams and Wilmore. However, the efforts to carry the duo again failed due to the hazards of Hurricane Helenetogether with different technical points.
Missions on the ISS often final six months, however Wilmore and Williams will spend about ten months in area due to the delay.
The subsequent crew, Crew-10, is anticipated to launch in late March on the brand new SpaceX capsule. It will embrace Nasa astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi. Once they arrive, there can be a “handover period,” the place Wilmore, Williams, and their teammates, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, are set to transient the brand new crew on station operations.
