Two NASA astronauts, who flew to the International Space Station in a Boeing Starliner capsule for a round trip lasting more than a week, will be stranded in space. about a year Before they can come home. Despite astronauts staying on the space station longer than expected, officials have insisted that Sunny Williams and Butch Wilmore not trapped In space.
Here's what we know about the stranded astronauts:
Why are astronauts stranded in space?
Williams and Wilmore head to the space station in juneTheir mission was to take eight to 10 days, but helium leaked in the capsule's propulsion system and the thrusters, which are critical for re-entry, malfunctioned. incomplete plans To return astronauts to Earth.
“Eight days to eight months or nine months or 10 months, whatever it is, we're going to do the best job we can every day,” Wilmore told CBS News correspondent Mark Strassman in September. At that time, they were expected to leave the space station in late February 2025.
Capsule returned safely to Earth on September Not with anyone on board.
Who are those astronauts stranded in space?
Williams turned 59 aboard the space station in September. After serving in the Navy for more than a decade, retiring as a captain, she joined NASA in 1998. As a naval aviator, he logged over 3,000 flying hours in over 30 different aircraft. At NASA, she set a record for women with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours, 17 minutes, but it was broken in 2008 by Peggy Whitson with her fifth spacewalk.
Wilmore also retired from the Navy as a captain, having recorded over 8,000 flight hours as a naval aviator. During Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, Wilmore flew 21 combat missions. He joined NASA in 2000 and spent 178 days in space before the Starliner mission. Like Williams, he has also conducted four spacewalks totaling 25 hours, 36 minutes.
Miguel J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILO/AFP via Getty Images
Why did the Boeing Starliner crew first go to the International Space Station?
The June launch was the first piloted test flight of the Starliner. NASA has funded the development of the capsule and SpaceX's Crew Dragon as the space agency looks to stop using Russian Soyuz flights to transport astronauts to and from the space station.
When will astronauts be able to return to Earth?
On Tuesday, December 17, NASA announced that Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth after the agency's new SpaceX crew arrives at the space station. NASA said that won't happen until the end of March, so NASA and SpaceX can have more time to prepare a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission.
Have other astronauts been stuck on the International Space Station before?
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two cosmonauts' six-month stay on the space station was unexpectedly extended to a year after their Soyuz spacecraft became disabled. Had to launch a replacement for all three so they could return to earth In 2023.
Contributed to this report.