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The capsule that carried Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams to the space station is still there. That is, it is connected to the space station. Boeing's capsule Starliner was supposed to land with Sunita and her astronaut Barry Butch Wilmore on June 13, but this could not happen due to technical fault.
If the capsule is to return to Earth, NASA has not set a date to bring back the astronauts. Because after flying on June 5, there was a leak of helium in five places in the capsule. Five maneuvering thrusters stopped working, causing the valve to fail and it could not close completely. Due to its being so low, the reaction mechanism has also been impaired.
Due to all these technical flaws, both the astronauts have to spend more days than the scheduled time. Now the spacecraft is being properly tested in the middle of the mission. Let us now know what NASA's plan is. How do NASA's most senior astronauts return to Earth?
What is the current status of the space station?
NASA's Commercial Crew Manager Steve Stich said that Starline can stay on the space station for a maximum of 45 days. He was also told that if the situation worsens, if the capsule is not repaired in time, then the capsule can remain attached to the space station for 73 days. A backup plan is being made for this. Currently there are nine astronauts.
The mission of just eight days lasted for a month
According to the current scenario, NASA will bring both the astronauts to Earth in a Starliner capsule on July 6, 2024. That is, the mission which was earlier of 8 days will now be of one month. That is, due to the technical fault of Starliner, Sunita and Barry will remain in space for 22 days.
Starliner will be thrown towards Earth
Starliner has an expandable propulsion system. This means that this vehicle has a service module. If both the astronauts are brought back to Earth by this capsule, then only this service module will separate Starliner from the space station. Then it will bring it to a fixed position and send it directly towards Earth. The capsule will cross the Earth's atmosphere and fall to the ground through a parachute. Currently, engineers from NASA and Boeing are busy repairing the capsule.
Sunita Williams posed for the media before leaving for the space station
Engineers from both organizations are running simulations in Houston so that the capsule can be fixed. The software is being upgraded. Also, the option is being considered whether the problem can be solved by replacing the hardware on the space station itself. As soon as NASA gives the green signal, the Starliner's thrusters will start so that the capsule can separate from the space station. After this, the dangerous six-hour journey back to Earth will begin.
What if something unexpected happens?
NASA has clarified that the capsule can bring astronauts to Earth even if the Starliner's propulsion system is damaged. If absolutely necessary, this capsule will act as an escape pod. But this step will be taken in an emergency. Before taking it, all Starliner items will be inspected.
If NASA discovers that Starliner's solar panels or any of its components are damaged during the scheduled time of the mission, the astronauts will be immediately sent back to Earth. Such an incident did not happen only with Starliner.
This is SpaceX's Dragon-2 crew capsule, which will be used in case of emergency
Earlier in 2020, NASA also hosted astronauts who visited the space station for the first time in SpaceX's Dragon capsule. That mission was completed in 62 days. At that time, the International Space Station was short of staff and the astronauts were quarantined. Apart from this, maintenance work was going on in many places in the space station.
If Starliner Isn't Used… Then What?
If Starliner is not used to bring Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, then NASA's first choice is SpaceX's Dragon-2 capsule. It carried four astronauts to the space station in March. The special thing about this capsule is that in case of emergency, more people can sit in it. However, if such a situation arises, it will be an opportunity for Boeing to be defamed worldwide. But NASA and Boeing engineers have claimed that such a situation will not arise.