June 29th 2024.
The US space agency, NASA, along with Boeing officials, have denied reports claiming that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are stranded on the International Space Station. Despite rumors of helium leaks on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, the officials have reassured that the astronauts are safe and they are not in any hurry to return to Earth.
During a press conference on Friday, NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, made it clear that they are taking their time to thoroughly investigate the situation before bringing the astronauts back home. He stated that the space station is a secure place for them to stay while they work on resolving the issue with the spacecraft.
The main concern for NASA and Boeing is the performance of Starliner's propulsion system. They want to make sure it is fully functional before attempting to bring the astronauts back to Earth. In the meantime, they have postponed the next spacewalk outside the space station to the end of July.
The reason for this delay is to give the teams on the ground more time to troubleshoot and understand the water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit that caused an early end to a spacewalk on June 24. The astronauts were originally scheduled to spend eight days on the orbiting laboratory, but they reached the ISS on June 6 and have been there since.
According to NASA, it takes seven hours to complete a normal end-of-mission procedure for the spacecraft. Currently, there is enough helium left in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity after undocking. This gives NASA and Boeing enough time to address any issues and ensure a safe return for the astronauts.
In conclusion, despite the setbacks and rumors, NASA and Boeing are working diligently to ensure the safety of the astronauts and the success of the mission. By taking their time and thoroughly investigating the situation, they are confident that they will be able to bring Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth safely and successfully.
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