Originally set to return in mid-June, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams may be on the station until February, 2025.
During a press conference today, NASA representatives confirmed they have a contingency plan to bring astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams home from the International Space Station (ISS) early next year. If they’re unable to leave sooner aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that brought them there
Tests conducted at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility pointed to deformed Teflon seals being a potential cause of the Starliner’s thrusters failing, but the agency isn’t expected to make a final decision on whether or not Williams and Wilmore will return using Boeing’s spacecraft until mid-August.
No because there’s always the possibility to use one of the extra Soyuz from the station.
Yes and no. One of the problems right now is each of the three capsule designs uses a different pressure suit, with different hookups, and each relies on a custom fitted seat liner to absorb some of the shock of landing / splashdown, so if you’re planning on landing on a different ship then you launched on, they need to send up a new seat liner & space suit.
This was half a problem even with the shuttle. You still needed a different spacesuit, but because it landed gently on a runway, it didn’t require custom seats.
Ah come on. Don’t tell us it’s the square plug into the round receptacle issue all over again (Apollo 13 style)?
Technically not stranded is still stranded when NASA won’t give them permission to leave.
Did they ask for permission to leave?
How do I know? Why should they need to? They have families. Obviously they would rather be with them.
Would they honestly rather be with their families and are asking to leave? How do you know these details?
Because it’s their families? Are you serious? They don’t want to be with their partners and kids?
Should we call CPS?
But they are in space doing science. Some people like their jobs and their families can understand that this is temporary
This is also potentially the last mission for both of them. I’d be surprised if they’re upset. Astronauts are a different breed.
They’re more likely to be having a good time than not. They knew from the start the mission plan included an option for a longer stay. Sunni also once held the record for ISS mission length for female astronauts.
It was “temporary” a month and a half ago.
Yeah but did they say that? Or are you projecting how you feel onto them?
Why do they need to say that they want to spend time with their partners and kids? Again, are you serious?
What if they want to spend a once in a lifetime opportunity on an international space station doing research for a year? Are you serious?