The problem of possible congestion is arising as the (ISS) can accommodate a total of three to six astronauts at a time.
New Delhi: As Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her teammate Butch Wilmore remain stuck in space for over 50 days now, the space agency is staring at a possible “congestion” aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to the launch of its upcoming mission, ‘Crew-9’, which is scheduled to depart for space on August 18, as per media reports.
The problem of possible congestion is arising as the (ISS) can accommodate a total of three to six astronauts at a time.
Given the launch of ‘Crew-9’, the additional spacecraft set for space will take with it four astronauts to the ISS.
The potential for “crowding” could lead to a delay in rotational mission or its cancellation, until Williams and Wilmore retured, news agency ANI reported.
No Final Dates for Sunita’s Return
It is likely to be a sour turn of events if Williams and Wilmore are not rescued in time. So far, NASA has not made an official announcement about the date when it plans to bring back the stuck astronauts.
However, it is believed that the return of the Starliner spacecraft is being given priority to free up one of the two docking ports at the International Space Station (ISS), in the wake of the new launch.
According to media reports, a NASA official had on July 10 said, “The big driver is the handover that we have coming up between Crew 8 and Crew 9, which is in mid-august. So, we have to back up.”
“We haven’t yet done that yet, but obviously, a few days before that launch opportunity, we would need to get Butch and Sunny home on Starliner. So that’s kind of a backend,” the official had said.
Boeing Fires Starliner Thrusters Ahead of Her Return to Earth
Boeing’s Starliner conducted a successful hot fire test of its Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters ahead of the the duo’s return.
The significant test involved the sequential firing of 27 thrusters while the spacecraft was docked at the ISS, sharing crucial data for the upcoming Crew Flight Test.
