NASA again Boeing’s Starliner capsule malfunctioned in mid-year, delaying the return to Earth of astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams stranded on the International Space Station.
The spacecraft’s crew arrived at the ISS in June. The purpose was to test Starliner’s comprehensive capabilities, including its launch, docking, and return systems. The mission was scheduled to last one week. Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed before docking with the ISS. Boeing claimed its technology could ensure the safe return of astronauts. However, NASA expressed doubts and concluded that the risk was too high. The agency outsourced the work to SpaceX.
Elon Musk’s company launched the Crew 9 mission in September aimed at, among other things, returning Williams and Wilmore. Previously, the stalled astronauts were scheduled to return in February aboard the Crew Dragon rocket. But NASA has announced that it expects the expedition to return to the surface after the arrival of Crew-10, which will be dispatched in late March 2025 at the earliest.
The arrangement allows SpaceX and NASA engineers to finalize development of the new Dragon spacecraft, which is scheduled to be shipped to the company’s Florida facility early next month.
“The manufacturing, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking process that requires meticulous attention to detail,” Steve Stitch, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager, said in a statement. Thank you very much.” The team is working together to complete the flight readiness of the new capsule while expanding the Dragon fleet to support our mission and station program and expedition crew flexibility. ”
NASA said Crew-9 and Crew-10 crews will have to complete a “handover period” during which ISS residents will have to share their experiences and knowledge with newly arrived crew members. . This process ensures that scientific experiments on board and maintenance of the orbital complex are carried out properly.
Experts from NASA and SpaceX evaluated several options for coordinating the next crewed delivery. They determined that a March launch of Crew-10 was “the best option to meet NASA requirements and achieve the 2025 space station goals,” according to a press release from the agency.
long distance
The ISS received two resupply flights in November to ensure the crew had enough food, water, clothing, and oxygen. But some experts have warned of potential health risks for Wilmore and Williams, who spent more than nine months in space.
The scientific community has been studying the effects of spaceflight on the human body since the 1970s. In the years since the first moon landing, symptoms have been observed including bone loss, decreased heart function, visual impairment, and the development of kidney stones.
A recent study from University College London reveals that kidney structure and function can also be permanently damaged, but this is particularly severe in astronauts far from Earth. This is not the case on the ISS.
NASA notes that expedition crews to the ISS typically stay for long periods of time, with an average stay of six months. He added that some astronauts have completed missions of up to one year to contribute to research into human adaptation to spaceflight, with a view to future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
This article originally appeared on WIRED en Español and was translated from Spanish.
