Washington: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were only supposed to be on the International Space Station for eight days, have been stranded in space for months due to a fault with Boeing’s spacecraft.
The two launched on Boeing’s Starliner on June 5. Their return to Earth could be even more terrifying.
A fault with the capsule’s thrusters means they’ve been stuck there for over two months, and NASA stated they might not return until February next year. Thrusters play a critical role in propelling the craft through space. According to a Daily Mail report, NASA is currently mulling over whether to continue relying on faulty Starline or go with Space X to ensure the safe return of the two astronauts.
The international space agency is now deciding whether to continue with the faulty Starliner or launch a rescue mission using SpaceX’s rivalship.
Former Space System Commander in the US military, Rudy Ridolfi, elaborated on three scenarios that could play out if they choose to go with the Starliner. According to the Daily Mail report, a worst-case scenario would see the crew burning up inside the capsule upon reentry.
If NASA does choose to persist with Starliner, Williams, and Wilmore could vaporise upon reentry of Earth’s orbit or be stuck floating in space.
Starliner’s problems lie in the service module, which is like the control centre for the entire ship. It contains systems that control the thrusters, power, as well as water and oxygen for the occupants. The module is located at the bottom of the capsule and is also critical for aligning the craft for reentry before it jettisons away before reentry.
The service module must put the capsule at an angled altitude for it to re-enter Earth. If the angle is off, the craft would bounce off the atmosphere and leave NASA scrambling to locate it in orbit. If the angle is too steep, there’s more friction and a greater chance of burning up in the atmosphere, vaporising the occupants.
In case the angle is too shallow, the spacecraft could bounce off the atmosphere and be catapulted back into space like a stone across a pond. “So long as the capsule is lined up correctly for reentry, everything’s fine,” Ridolfi said, as quoted by Dailymail.
