Nasa Has Some Bad News For Its Stranded Astronauts

Starliner Mission Delayed Again, Compromising Astronaut Safety

Seven-Year Delay, $15 Billion Over Budget

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, initially scheduled for launch in 2017, has faced significant delays and cost overruns. The mission, now projected for 2024, has incurred an additional $15 billion in expenses, totaling an estimated $57 billion.

The latest setback stems from vehicle issues that have extended a planned eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to two months. As a result, NASA may remove two astronauts from the next scheduled launch to the ISS to accommodate the delayed astronauts, Mark Wilmore and Jessica Williams.

Safety Concerns

NASA's safety chief, Russ DeLoach, has expressed concerns about the insufficient data available to make clear-cut decisions regarding the mission's safety. Boeing and NASA are actively evaluating options for retrieving the two stranded astronauts.

• NASA and Boeing are grappling with the best course of action to retrieve two U.S. astronauts stranded on the International Space Station.
• The astronauts, NASA's Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos's Anton Shkaplerov, were scheduled to return to Earth in March but have been grounded due to a delay in the launch of the Starliner spacecraft.
• Boeing has acknowledged responsibility for the delay, saying it was caused by a software problem that prevented the Starliner from docking with the ISS during its uncrewed test flight in December.

The Starliner mission is crucial for NASA's plans to establish a regular commercial crew transportation service to the ISS. However, the delays and safety concerns have raised doubts about the program's viability.

Impact on Future Missions

The Starliner delays have impacted future missions to the ISS, including those involving SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. NASA is working to mitigate the scheduling conflicts and ensure the safe return of all astronauts.

Despite the challenges, NASA and Boeing remain committed to resolving the issues and ensuring the safety of astronauts on future missions.