By Bayla Rothschild, Staff Writer
On June 5, 2024, astronauts Sunni Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) on an eight day long trip in order to test out the new Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft developed multiple helium leaks and later on (when trying to dock with the ISS) four of the twenty eight thrusters on the spacecraft malfunctioned.
Initially, while testing was conducted on Earth and in space, it seemed likely that the spacecraft would be able to take the astronauts home safely. However, by the end of August it was decided that the spacecraft would return to Earth without the astronauts. This decision meant that the astronauts would be brought back to Earth along with the next crew making the trip to the ISS.
When the next crew launched into space (aboard the well tested SpaceX Dragon), it only contained two astronauts (instead of the standard four), but will return with the team of astronauts that got stuck in space. During their extended time in space, Williams and Wilmore have joined in with the current ISS crew on their regular tasks and when the two new astronauts arrived on September 28, they officially became a part of that ISS expedition. The four astronauts will not come home until February 2025, meaning that Williams and Wilmore, who were only supposed to be in space for eight days, will now be in space for around eight months.
Even during their unplanned length of time in space, Williams and Wilmore will have the opportunity to engage in some experiences from their home planet. For example, normally when astronauts go to space for an extended period of time, they can bring a small amount of personal belongings with them. Since Williams and Wilmore were only supposed to be in space for a short period of time, they did not bring such items, but NASA sent some personal belongings during another mission to the ISS. Additionally, since the astronauts will be in space during the upcoming November elections, they will have the rare opportunity to vote from space.
The history of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft began in 2014 when NASA was searching for new spacecraft manufacturers to bring astronauts to the ISS and got in touch with both Boeing and SpaceX. At the time, it seemed like Boeing would get the job done faster than SpaceX as SpaceX is a much newer and less established company. These assumptions could not have been more wrong. The SpaceX spacecraft conducted its first manned mission in 2020 while the Boeing spacecraft faced many challenges and delays. Even their first test mission (which was not manned and took place in 2019) had many issues including a vehicle misfire and software malfunctions. Subsequent test missions also experienced many issues.
During the current flight that has left the astronauts stuck in the ISS, the issues with the spacecraft seemingly stemmed from heat building up in the thrusters causing the Teflon seals to swell, restricting the flow of the propellant. This issue with the thrusters was one of the critical reasons why NASA chose to have the Starliner return to earth unmanned and has also led NASA to reconsider their future use of this spacecraft.
Photo Caption: The Boeing Starliner spacecraft approaching the International Space Station
Photo Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center / Wikimedia Commons