NASA may use SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to bring Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore back to Earth | Technology News

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are currently stranded at the International Space Station due to a fault in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Although Boeing recently reported that 27 out of 28 thrusters are back to normal condition, NASA remains hesitant to use Starliner for the astronauts’ return, as the root cause of the faults remains unidentified and could pose a threat, reported CNBC.
In a potential solution, NASA is considering using SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, a proven Commercial Crew Program (CCP) spacecraft, to bring both astronauts safely back to Earth.
The Crew-9 mission with SpaceX’s Dragon capsule was initially set for August 18 but has been postponed to no earlier than September 24, as confirmed by NASA on August 6. Reports indicated that NASA might send only two astronauts on the Crew-9 mission, allowing Williams and Wilmore to return with them, according to CNBC.
However, with the postponement of the Crew-9 mission, this plan could be in jeopardy. Both astronauts are beginning to experience health-related issues, with Williams already suffering from bone density loss due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. This can lead to other health complications such as visual impairment and the risk of DNA damage.
The astronauts have been stuck at the ISS for over 60 days, and it is now reported that NASA is working on a tight deadline to bring them back to Earth within the next 17 days to prevent further deterioration of their health.
The issues began when Boeing’s Starliner docked at the ISS on June 13, where five out of 28 thrusters abruptly failed, along with a helium leak in the service module. Boeing claims to have fixed most of the issues through a series of simulations, with 27 thrusters now reportedly working at full capacity. However, NASA has requested more data from Boeing before allowing Starliner to fly back to Earth.
Teams with @NASA and @BoeingSpace continue working to increase their understanding of the #Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system prior to the return of @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from @Space_Station, conducting ground tests on a new thruster.
Meanwhile,… pic.twitter.com/AdWCQbAQZX
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) July 10, 2024
Boeing’s Starliner, an ambitious project, has faced roadblocks since NASA chose Boeing as its Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partner in 2010. Despite spending over $1.5 billion on top of the project’s budget, Boeing has not achieved the same level of success as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
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