The Boeing capsule has initiated its descent back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS), leaving two astronauts in a dilemma.
Earlier, the capsule had successfully transported the two astronauts to the ISS for a scheduled stay.
However, technical malfunctions with the capsule have rendered it unsafe for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to use for their planned return journey.
As a result, the astronauts will now have to await the arrival of a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025 to bring them back to Earth.
While the Boeing Starliner capsule is not fit for human transport, it is capable of returning to Earth uncrewed.
NASA has a policy of maintaining a backup of space-faring vehicles on Earth.
This ensures that the agency can study a vehicle in case an issue arises with a craft in flight.
The Starliner capsule has now departed from the ISS and will undergo a six-hour journey.
The capsule is anticipated to land in the New Mexico desert.
Astronaut Suni Williams wished the spacecraft well as it embarked on its journey home, stating: “Bring her back to Earth. Good luck.”
The astronauts had a tense arrival at the space station when the craft’s thrusters failed and helium leaked from its tanks.
This incident turned what should have been an eight-day mission into an eight-month stay.
Thankfully, the ISS is well-equipped to keep the astronauts safe during this extended period.
In addition, Williams’ mother remarked that the astronaut was excited to spend more time in orbit.
Speaking to Newsnation’s CUOMO, Bonnie Pandya expressed confidence: “Everything’s going to be fine. I don’t give her any advice. She knows what to do. She is a seasoned astronaut. She’s been up over 400 days in space. So, you know, they have things to do. They have jobs to do. They have experiments.”
Bonnie further added: “She told me not to worry about her. Everything’s going to be fine.
“I’ve been an astronaut mom for 20 years. And this is her third flight. Even though it was, you know, it has a problem, we still don’t feel that there’s a big problem.”
SpaceX is now preparing to launch a crew ferry flight carrying two additional astronauts to the ISS.
These astronauts will work on the space station for two months before returning to Earth, bringing Williams and Wilmore with them.