Stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore returned to Earth after a much longer than expected mission. The astronauts, who had been on the International Space Station for nine months, could not make their return due to technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Stranded NASA astronauts finally returned to Earth
During this process, problems with the vehicle’s propulsion system and leaks were detected, and NASA and Boeing engineers decided that Starliner could not safely return the crew to Earth. However, after a long wait, Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth after a 17-hour journey on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
The return of the astronauts, who landed in the Gulf of Mexico at 00:57 Turkey time, raised further questions about Boeing’s reliability in space transport. Although the company won the NASA astronaut transport tender with SpaceX in 2014, the Starliner programme has faced constant problems over the years due to technical glitches and delays.
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On the other hand, SpaceX has managed to gain NASA’s trust by regularly performing manned missions with Crew Dragon since 2020. In order to ensure the safe return of astronauts, NASA collaborated with SpaceX and postponed the return date to early 2025.
Thus, while SpaceX’s reliability has been proven once again, the setbacks experienced by Boeing in the Starliner programme have made the company’s future in manned space flights controversial. So what do you think about this issue? You can share your opinions with us in the comments section below.
