How Eight-Day Space Station Passengers Got Trapped in Space?

After investigations into the safety of the Boeing Starliner capsule's return failed to assure specialists about the astronauts' safety, NASA decided to extend the stay of two astronauts aboard the capsule until February next year. In June, after years of delays and millions of dollars over the initial budget, Boeing finally announced it was ready to conduct the first crewed flight of its Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight, which had been postponed several times due to technical issues, finally launched on June 5. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, two veteran and retired NASA astronauts, were the first passengers on this important Boeing test. They were supposed to spend eight days at the ISS after docking and then return to Earth with the same capsule to demonstrate its capability for crewed missions. Pre-launch checks revealed a weakness in the system that caused multiple launch delays, specifically a defect in the propulsion jets that adjust the capsule's trajectory. These jets are crucial for minor adjustments during docking with the ISS and particularly during re-entry to Earth. If the capsule's entry angle and orientation are incorrect during re-entry, its heat shield may not withstand the intense heat from friction with the atmosphere, potentially leading to an explosion. Experts concluded that the likelihood of this issue occurring in more than one jet and causing problems for the return was very low, thus giving the green light for the flight. This decision, according to Chris Hadfield, a former commander of the ISS, was something no astronaut or space agency should undertake: sending astronauts with the hope that this potentially lethal option would not occur. After the Starliner docked with the ISS and the astronauts arrived late, safety checks for the capsule's return began. These checks covered various aspects of the capsule, and each section had to independently issue a return authorization. However, inspections of the small thrusters showed they overheated during operation and there was also helium leakage. This issue increased the risk of the spacecraft's maneuver during re-entry, leading specialists to be unable to confirm the safety of the return within an acceptable timeframe. Consequently, Boeing's Starliner capsule remained docked at the ISS, trapping the two astronauts who were supposed to spend eight days there. After several months of investigation, NASA finally made its final decision regarding the astronauts' return. The plan is for the Starliner capsule to return to Earth unmanned and automatically in September. This process will allow Boeing and NASA engineers to conduct a thorough examination of the thrusters' behavior and potential errors and work to resolve them. The two astronauts on this mission will remain at the ISS until February next year, assisting with station operations and experiments, and will return to Earth with SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which will continue its routine missions to the station. Notably, there are no plans to send a Dragon capsule outside the original schedule to rescue and return these astronauts, and both astronauts have supported NASA's decision. It is important to note that while this issue is likely to affect Boeing's market and stock, making competition with SpaceX and other rivals more difficult, the reason for conducting test flights before officially starting missions is to identify and investigate such issues. The use of experienced astronauts for test flights is also for exceptional situations like this one. The experience and background of these two astronauts have alleviated NASA's concerns about their prolonged stay in orbit while allowing them to contribute to station missions. However, such an event, in an era where we are witnessing an increase in private companies aiming to participate in space transportation, underscores the importance of monitoring the safety of these flights. NASA in the United States at least oversees the safety of flights for joint missions, but this oversight decreases for non-participatory missions, and considering the entry of other countries into this field, the absence of an international body to oversee the safety of space flights may be felt more than ever. This situation also highlights the necessity to update space laws and legal issues, particularly the responsibilities of actors in the event of various incidents.