60 days and counting: Why Sunita Williams might not return to Earth until next year

They went to space for eight days. Now more than 60 days later, Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams and her counterpart Barry “Butch” Wilmore are still stranded there. When will they return? There are no clear answers but it may not be until 2025.

Williams and Wilmore took off on a test mission on Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 and were expected to return in eight days. However, the plans went awry. Now more than two months on, they are still floating above the Earth.

We take a look at why the return continues to be delayed and what can we expect next.

Why are Williams, Wilmore still stuck in space?

Let’s start with a little recap.

Sunita Williams, 58, and Barry Wilmore, 61, flew in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft to the ISS. It was the first of its kind flight with people on board.

The mission was a test to evaluate the performance of the new spacecraft before it is used regularly. The Starliner was scheduled to begin its return journey on June 26.

However, several issues were detected in some of the key mechanisms of the spacecraft even before it docked at the ISS. There were leaks in the propulsion system and some of its thrusters started shutting down. However, despite the glitches the Starlier reached the ISS safely.

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At first, the issues seemed small. However, since the takeoff, the capsule has had five helium leaks. Helium pressurises the rockets, helps maintain their structural integrity, and helps manoeuvre the spacecraft.

That is not the only issue. Five of the 28 manoeuvring thrusters have gone dead and a propellant valve failed to close completely, according to a report in Reuters.

The crew in space and mission managers in Houston have been pursuing the fixes. Boeing claims to have fixed most of the issues through a series of simulations – around 1,00,000 – with 27 thrusters now reportedly working at full capacity. However, NASA has requested more data from Boeing, as there is doubt that the Starliner might be unsafe to fly back to Earth.

What if Starliner is not fit for return?

Boeing and Nasa have been scrambling to fix the problems with the spacecraft.

Now Nasa is examining whether the two astronauts could return in another vehicle – SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. It said on Wednesday that the astronauts could fly back on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner is still deemed unsafe.

The mission undertaken by Elon Musk’s SpaceX is scheduled to launch in September and return to Earth next year. At first four crew members were to be aboard. But now two seats could be kept empty to bring back Williams and Wilmore.

The SpaceX vehicle is a Commercial Crew Program (CCP) spacecraft. The Crew-9 mission with the Dragon capsule was initially set for August 18 but has been postponed to no earlier than September 24.

This would mean that the astronauts would spend more than eight months in space. However, Nasa officials said that no firm decisions have been taken about the next step. A final decision could take a week or more, according to a report in the BBC.

It is not the only way out. Multiple plans exist to get the astronauts back to Earth, including having them even hitch a ride on a Russian Soyuz craft, reports USA TODAY.

What does this mean for the astronauts?

The astronauts have been stuck at the ISS for over 60 days. Recently, NASA used a SpaceX rocket to deliver more food and supplies, including extra clothes.

At a recent briefing call, Williams told reporters, “We’ve been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew… It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up here with the International Space Station team.”

Work and gardening have been keeping them busy. Williams and Wilmore are performing experiments in the Harmony module, which acts as a connecting passageway between international space labs and spacecraft.

Best week ever! So happy to be back in space and on @Space_Station (ISS). The ride was amazing, and being here with friends is just awesome. Incredible to see three different human-rated spacecraft docked to the ISS. Great to be part of all that! pic.twitter.com/opFGPNsen5

— Sunita Williams (@Astro_Suni) June 11, 2024

However, the time in space is affecting their health, which is concerning. Williams is suffering from bone density loss due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. This can lead to other health complications such as visual impairment and the risk of DNA damage, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Bringing the two astronauts back is the top priority. “We know at some point we need to bring Butch and Suni home,” said Ken Bowersox, Nasa’s associate administrator for space operations.

What happens to the Starliner then?

If Crew Dragon or any other spacecraft is used to bring back the two astronauts, Starliner would be brought back under computer control.

According to Bowersox, the chances of an uncrewed return of the Starliner “have increased a little bit based on where things have gone over the last week or two”. “That’s why we’re looking more closely at that option to make sure that we can handle it,” he told reporters, according to the BBC.

Whatever it is, this is bad news for Boeing, which has been trying to compete with Space X. However, business might have to take a backseat until the astronauts are back on Earth.

With inputs from agencies