Can ISRO bring Sunita Williams back to Earth? Chairman S Somanath has an answer | Technology News
NASA has confirmed that Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, the two astronauts who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Boeing Starliner capsule in June, will only be returning to Earth in SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule in February 2025.
If you were wondering if the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could have played a role in bringing the Indian-origin astronaut and her colleague back to Earth, its chairman, S Somanath, in a BeerBiceps podcast on YouTube, has said, “Right now, we can’t do anything as a direct help. Because we don’t have a spacecraft which can go there and save her. It is not possible. The only possibilities are from Russia or the US. The US has the Crew Dragon vehicle which can go. Russia has a Soyuz. Either of these can go and save them.”
Somnath also said, “Boeing Starliner showed some anomaly; they (Nasa) don’t want to take a risk, as the return is more dangerous than the onward flight, and as the Starliner has shown some issues in the past, even before the launch.” This had caused several postponements of the mission.
Considering the recent development of Nasa choosing the SpaceX Dragon capsule as the rescue vehicle, it’s clear that the space agency and Boeing are still not confident enough to use the Starliner, which encountered helium leakage and failure of several thrusters after the capsule docked on to the International Space Station (ISS).
This development also means that Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will become full-time expedition crew members of the ISS and take up new responsibilities.
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