2 US Astronauts Stranded in Area As a consequence of Spacecraft Points?

On June 24, 2024, an X person claimed two U.S. astronauts have been stranded in space (archived) and not using a clear plan for after they would return to Earth.

The X person wrote: “Loopy that there are two american astronauts stranded in low earth orbit and not using a clear reply on how or when they’re getting dwelling and nobody is speaking about it…”

His submit had amassed greater than 1.3 million views on the time of this writing.

The 2 American astronauts in query have been Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who left Earth for the Worldwide Area Station aboard the Boeing Starliner on June 5, 2024, within the spacecraft’s first crewed mission.

Starliner’s return flight suffered a number of setbacks to permit time to evaluate technical points. On June 14, it was pushed again to June 22, earlier than being delayed once more to June 26. On June 21, NASA introduced one other change of plans without giving a clear date for when the spacecraft, together with Wilmore and Williams, would head again to Earth.

Following NASA’s replace, the claim in regards to the two astronauts appeared elsewhere on X in June 2024, in numerous TikTok videos, and in Facebook and Reddit posts.

Numerous information shops also stated the pair have been “stranded” in space.

Though it was true the 2 NASA astronauts have been caught in area whereas awaiting a confirmed return date, it was deceptive for folks to assert Wilmore and Williams have been “stranded” as a result of they have been safely staying on the ISS, which is why we’ve rated this declare as “False.”

A June 21 NASA news release mentioned the company and Boeing’s management group adjusted Starliner’s return journey to “deconflict” the spacecraft’s undocking from the ISS with a collection of deliberate spacewalks. It defined the delay would give mission groups “time to evaluation propulsion system knowledge.”

It additionally acknowledged the spacecraft was cleared to return to Earth within the occasion of an emergency on the ISS however that the crew was “not pressed for time to go away the station” as a result of there have been loads of provides on board and the area station’s schedule “is comparatively open via mid-August.”

“Mission managers are evaluating future return alternatives following the station’s two deliberate spacewalks on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, July 2,” the information launch mentioned.

Steve Stich, supervisor of NASA’s Business Crew Program, mentioned in a statement the adjustment would enable the groups to evaluate technical points encountered on board Starliner:

We’re taking our time and following our customary mission administration group course of. We’re letting the information drive our resolution making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster efficiency we noticed throughout rendezvous and docking… Starliner is performing nicely in orbit whereas docked to the area station. We’re strategically utilizing the additional time to clear a path for some vital station actions whereas finishing readiness for Butch and Suni’s return on Starliner and gaining beneficial perception into the system upgrades we are going to wish to make for post-certification missions.

Boeing Starliner launched the same news release on June 21.

NASA printed updates about Starliner’s mission progress in a blog on its web site.

On June 11, Williams said on X she was glad to be on the ISS. On June 20, NASA’s Johnson Area Heart posted a GIF on X exhibiting Wilmore and Williams had arrived on the station, thus proving they weren’t “stranded” in area.

Williams spoke to college students at her namesake college, Sunita L. Williams Elementary, from the ISS on June 21, based on the Boeing Space X account.

She and Wilmore then appeared in a photo posted on X by the ISS account later that day.

Sources