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Why These 2 NASA Astronauts Are Stuck In Space
While many would be binging on favourite meals over choice wines this Yuletide, two astronauts are stuck in space and won’t be having any of such privilege.
That was not the way they have planned it, when 10 months earlier they rocketed into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, believing they would complete their exploration in due time and return to earth.
Latest release from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is that Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ homecoming won’t be until end of March or even April.
Announcing the extension on Tuesday, the agency said it is because of a delay in launching their replacements
Reports quoting the agency said a fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been shifted more than a month, according to the space agency.
The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station, reports Newsweek.
But rather than the eight days initially planned, their mission grew to eight months the Starliner capsule had developed a problem and needed to be fixed.
NASA’s next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams’ return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts.
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“But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March”, the agency said, adding that it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule.
On a second thought, it decided that the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.
NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.