After their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered critical hydrogen leaks, SpaceX’s Elon Musk might be called upon to save two pilots who are stranded at the International Space Station ( ISS). The Starliner’s launch on June 5 was originally scheduled to bring back explorers Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were scheduled to arrive after nine weeks. But, continued issues with their spaceship have left their return ambiguous, prompting Nasa to find a solution immediately.
While SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is a viable solution if needed, NASA and Boeing have expressed confidence that the Starliner may remain fixed in time for the pilots ‘ return. According to a New York Post report, the Crew Dragon can take on additional passengers in an emergency, which efficiently transported four pilots to the ISS in March.
Despite the potential for a SpaceX recovery, Michael Lembeck, an aircraft architecture professor at the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, believes the need for SpaceX’s action remains lower. We would need to see a significant issue emerge in the next few weeks to permit that response, Lembeck told the NY Post.
Boeing’s Starliner, still docked at the ISS, is undergoing rigorous checks to understand and solve the gas leak problem. This delay in the return journey gives engineers more time to study the issue and confirm the satellite’s readiness for upcoming missions.
The importance of ensuring the necessary time is taken in order to confirm Starliner for a secure return voyage was raised by Katsuo Kurabayashi, a teacher of aircraft engineering at New York University. He noted that the condition is dynamic, and that Nasa’s subsequent updates may be crucial in bringing about a solution.
The next time a Nasa astronomer needed assistance to return to Earth was in 2022, when the Russian Soyuz capsule leaking. Although SpaceX was chosen for that quest, the astronaut later made a return on a newly launched clear Soyuz spacecraft.
Wilmore and Williams ‘ healthy return is being ensured by Nasa and Boeing, and SpaceX is prepared to assist if needed.
