Stuck Astronauts Speak Out After Boeing Capsule Leaves Without Them

Photo : AP

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who are currently stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS), publicly expressed their appreciation for the support and well wishes they have received from people back home. This was their first statement since the Boeing Starliner capsule, which transported them to the ISS in June, returned to Earth last week without them.

The Boeing Starliner capsule encountered several issues during its mission, which led NASA to conclude that the spacecraft posed too much risk for Wilmore and Williams to use for their return trip. As a result, the two astronauts remain on the ISS, where they have integrated into the station's crew, contributing to routine maintenance and scientific experiments.

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Earlier this week, Wilmore and Williams, along with seven other crew members on the ISS, welcomed a Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russian astronauts and one American, temporarily increasing the station’s population to 12, close to a record high. Wilmore and Williams, both seasoned NASA astronauts and retired Navy captains, will remain on the station until late February. They are scheduled to return aboard a SpaceX capsule, which is expected to launch later this month. This capsule will carry a reduced crew of two, leaving two seats available for Wilmore and Williams.

The Starliner mission marked Boeing’s first spaceflight with astronauts. The spacecraft faced multiple challenges, including thruster failures and helium leaks, before docking with the ISS on June 6. It successfully landed in the New Mexico desert earlier this month. However, Boeing's future in NASA's commercial crew program remains uncertain as the company works to address these issues.

NASA had hired SpaceX and Boeing a decade ago to provide crew transportation services following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program. SpaceX has been operational since 2020, successfully transporting astronauts to and from the ISS, while Boeing's progress has encountered delays and complications.