The astronauts began the mission on June 5, 2024. It was supposed to last eight days, but was delayed due to technical problems.
Two American astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who traveled on an eight-day mission to the ISS in June 2024, remain on board longer than planned due to technical problems and will not be able to return to Earth until February 2025.
According to The Guardian, this scenario could happen if their Boeing Starliner spacecraft cannot be repaired.
However, on Wednesday, NASA said that if the return to the Starliner becomes dangerous, the astronauts will be able to use another ship – Crew Dragon from SpaceX. However, such an evacuation is only possible next year.
The head of NASA’s commercial crew program, Steve Stich, noted that the agency was considering sending SpaceX’s Dragon Crew 9 to the ISS, which was scheduled to launch in mid-August, but now will happen no earlier. than September 24.
How Wilmore and Williams can be brought back safely remains an open question.
It was previously reported that American billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX received a contract from NASA to build a spacecraft that would allow the ISS to be moved from orbit.
Source: korrespondent
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