How NASA Plans to Bring Back Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore to Earth in Case of Emergency

New Delhi: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are stuck in space for over three months now, can be brought back to Earth in case of emergency, media reports citing NASA said. Meanwhile, Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft that took the two astronauts on a space expedition which was supposed to be almost a week-long returned to Earth safely on September 6 but without them. 

The spacecraft had been docked at the International Space Station (ISS) for over three months due to helium leakage and several thrusters' failure. The test crew flight with the two astronauts was supposed to return to Earth in just a week, after it arrived at the space station on June 6. 

Owing to the issues that cropped up with the Starliner, the NASA postponed the return journey of the duo till February 2025 but the American space agency has some plans ready in case the duo needs to leave the ISS in an emergency.

Reports citing NASA said "The International Space Station crew and ground teams have completed the configuration of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft supporting Crew-8 to now serve as the emergency return spacecraft for Butch and Suni, if needed, until NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission arrives following its launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24.”

Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

NASA Delayed Return Citing Kalpana Chawla's Death 

The decision to delay the return of the duo was made based on experiences gained from past missions, especially the Columbia mission where the faulty Columbia spacecraft broke apart, claiming the lives of all seven crew members onboard including, Indian-origin Kalpana Chawla, during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

NASA noted, “During Starliner’s flight to the space station, some of the spacecraft’s thrusters did not perform as expected and several leaks in Starliner’s helium system were observed. Since then, NASA and Boeing have taken additional time to learn more about the spacecraft through in-flight and ground testing and extensive data analysis before making the best, safest decision on how and when to return the crew home. This analysis included processes and organizations established as a result of the space shuttle Columbia accident.”

Are Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Alone in Space?

Sharing more details about their missions on ISS, NASA has revealed that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are accompanied by many others in the outer world. Notably, they both have now integrated with the Expedition 71 crew, which consists of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Tracy C. Dyson, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin.  

Given the extension of their stay in space, the duo are now indulging in several activities that can prove prove crucial in the field of space exploration. According to NASA, in addition to supporting station research, and maintenance, they have been experimenting with new ways to produce fiber optic cables and growing plants aboard the orbiting complex.

Sunita Stuck in Space

Wilmore and Sunita Williams had launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight which arrived at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters. After concerns over the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on August 24 that Starliner would return to Earth from the station without any crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

NASA's Plan for Human Exploration of Moon and Mars

The crew flight test, involving Williams, is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This already is providing additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.