SUNITA WILLIAMS STRANDED ON ISS, ONLY 27 DAYS OF FUEL LEFT

Astronauts stuck on ISS

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, two NASA astronauts, are stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) after engineers found multiple problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Delayed Return

The astronauts' stay has been extended three times, with  no new return date in sight.  Originally, they were supposed to return to Earth on June  13.

On June 5, Boeing's Starliner had a successful launch from Cape Canaveral on its first crewed flight. But five helium leaks in the thruster system were discovered by engineers during the 25-hour voyage to the International Space Station.

Successful Launch With Mutiple Problems Later

Extended Stay To Address Issues

NASA has extended the crew's stay on the ISS by a minimum of three weeks in order to allow engineers more time to fix these issues. "To guarantee a safe return, we are extending".

Engineering Challenges

The manager of Boeing's Starliner programme, Mark Nappi, confirmed that there are problems with the helium system and that it is not operating as intended. 

Limited Fuel

Starliner can only remain docked for 45 days due to the Harmony module's limited fuel storage, which reduces the window of opportunity for a safe return voyage.

Years Of Delay

This crewed flight comes after years of delays for the Starliner mission. The present problems have made Boeing's endeavours to create a dependable crew transportation system much more difficult.

Safety Priority

NASA and Boeing are placing a high priority on astronaut safety. Only if all issues have been resolved and the spacecraft is judged safe for re-entry will the return trip begin.