Heroic Mission: NASA Chooses SpaceX to Daringly Rescue Stranded Astronauts in Space | World News
NASA Astronauts to Return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Amid Boeing Starliner Setbacks
Bloomberg: Aug 24, 2024 | 11:18 PM IST
By Loren Grush
In a significant shift, NASA has tasked Elon Musk’s SpaceX with returning two astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) following technical issues with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. The astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who arrived at the ISS on June 6 aboard the Starliner for a week-long mission, will now remain in orbit for eight months.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the commitment to safety in deciding to bring the Boeing spacecraft back uncrewed, a poignant reminder of past Shuttle tragedies. As a result, Wilmore and Williams will return on SpaceX’s rival Crew Dragon capsule, scheduled for a late September launch, with their anticipated return to US soil pushed to February next year.
The move delivers another blow to Boeing’s Starliner program, which has been beset by delays and technical flaws since an uncrewed mission failure in 2019, resulting in $1.6 billion in extra charges. The decision underscores NASA’s hesitation and indicates a lack of confidence in Boeing following years of setbacks.
This complication arises amid a tense US presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris, chair of the National Space Council, and former President Donald Trump, suggesting the decision’s potential political reverberations. Lori Garver, former NASA deputy administrator, highlighted the gravity of NASA’s decisions in human spaceflight, where the loss of the crew remains a paramount concern.
Boeing’s future with NASA now hangs in the balance, as this crewed flight was critical to proving Starliner’s capability to ferry humans to and from the ISS. With NASA planning to retire the ISS in 2030, Boeing and SpaceX hold contracts to regularly transport crews until then, but recent events cast doubt on Boeing’s continued role.
First Published: Aug 24, 2024 | 11:17 PM IST
Original Story https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/nasa-selects-musk-s-spacex-to-rescue-astronauts-marooned-in-space-124082400955_1.html
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