CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore are stranded on the International Space Station (ISS). Their return has been postponed again. They reached there via Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Recently, due to technical issues, NASA had to postpone their return plan for the third time.
Technical problems with Boeing’s capsule
Boeing has stated that their space capsule is experiencing issues such as thruster failure and leaky valves. Fixing these technical difficulties is taking time, making Sunita and Butch’s return uncertain.
Memories of Kalpana Chawla
Sunita Williams’ situation has reminded people of Kalpana Chawla, who died in an accident while returning from the ISS. NASA is also aware of this risk and does not want to take any chances.
NASA may seek help from Musk
In this case, the British tabloid ‘Daily Mail’ reported that NASA might soon seek help from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. New York University Professor Katsuo Kurabayashi also speculated that NASA could use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts back safely.
Concerns grow as return time extends
It is still unclear when Sunita and Butch will be able to return to Earth. NASA hopes to bring them back in early July. Experts have not considered this delay to be a serious cause for concern.
While hoping for the safe return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, it will be interesting to see how NASA handles this crisis and whether Elon Musk will contribute to this mission.