ALBAWABA - The homecoming of two astronauts who found themselves stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) due to persistent delays in the preparation of spacecraft.
Originally slated to go on an eight-day trip in June on Boeing's Starliner, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will now stay in orbit until at least June 2025, according to BBC News. However, NASA claims that there is no harm to the astronauts due to the delay.
In the course of its trip to the International Space Station, the Starliner encountered problems with its propulsion system. After thorough examination, NASA decided it would return the spacecraft back to Earth without its crew bring the two stranded astronauts home in SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
NASA announced on Tuesday, Crew-10, which would take over Crew-9 and bring back the stranded astronauts, would not launch before March 2025, with both staying aboard for a “handover period.” The administration commented in a blog post that “The change gives NASA and SpaceX teams time to complete processing on a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission,” AFP reports.
According to NASA, recent resupply missions have made sure the ISS has enough food, water, and other necessities. Even though the astronauts' journey was prolonged from a single week to more than nine months, ISS trips often face such scenarios.
Steve Stich, manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, commented on the Crew-10 mission “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” adding “We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule's readiness for flight,” according to CBS News.
