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NASA has given a big update regarding when astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return from space. The US space agency has said that by the end of August they have to decide whether the two astronauts will be brought back by Boeing’s Starliner or SpaceX’s plane.
In fact, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore went to the space station in space on June 5 in Boeing’s Starliner plane. It was a testing flight, so the mission was to be only 8 days. But due to a technical fault in the Starliner plane, both of them have not been able to return from space yet.
Decision possible by the end of August
On Wednesday, NASA has informed in a press conference that they are still analyzing the thruster data. But a decision has not yet been taken on whether to use Starliner for the return of Williams and Wilmore or Boeing’s rival SpaceX’s plane. NASA official Ken Bowersox has said that we should decide on the return of both by the end of August. He said that both the astronauts are having a good time at the Space Station (ISS), but I am sure that they will also be curious to know the decision regarding the return, as we all are.
Return may be postponed till February 2025!
Bowersox has told that we have had a very good conversation with Boeing and they have 100 percent confidence in their Starliner aircraft. NASA is trying to find a way for the safe return of both the astronauts, so it does not want to take any kind of risk. This is the reason why this space agency is also considering the return of both of them by SpaceX aircraft apart from Starliner. If this happens, then on September 24, the Crew 9 mission can be launched with only 2 astronauts instead of 4.
In this situation, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are on the ISS, will be a part of the Crew9 mission and will be able to return to Earth in February 2025 via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
‘Williams-Wilmore are experienced, there will be no problem’
NASA Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba has said that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had already prepared for this mission, they knew that this is a test flight and everything may not go well during this time. He said that the commander of this mission, Wilmore, has spent 178 days in space before the Starliner mission, while Boeing mission pilot Sunita Williams has experience of staying in space for about 322 days. Both astronauts are very professional and they are working well.
At the same time, Bowersox has said that Starliner can be used to bring back Sunita and Butch Wilmore but it can be very risky. Therefore, NASA is deeply analyzing the data obtained from the tests conducted in late July, along with the team of engineers is also trying to remove the flaws of the Starliner aircraft.
Return from SpaceX is a setback for Boeing!
In fact, in the year 2014, NASA had given contracts worth several billion dollars to SpaceX and Boeing. SpaceX conducted successful testing with the crew in the year 2020 and since then it has carried dozens of astronauts. But this Starliner aircraft of Boeing is facing major problems in its testing flight itself. In such a situation, it has to be seen whether NASA trusts Starliner to bring back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore or will it have to turn to Elon Musk’s SpaceX?
If both the astronauts are brought back with the help of SpaceX, then it can be considered a big setback for Boeing. Actually Boeing and SpaceX are rivals of each other, so the failure of the Starliner aircraft will be a big embarrassment for Boeing.
