Two NASA astronauts just completed a space mission whose setbacks would leave anyone scratching their head: a return from what was supposed to be a week-long mission but turned into a nine-month odyssey due to glaringly unresolved spacecraft issues.
At a Glance
- Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned after a nine-month ISS mission.
- The mission extended to nine months from its planned duration of one week.
- Propulsion issues forced Starliner to return uncrewed, leaving astronauts on ISS.
- Astronauts completed a 45-day rehabilitation to adjust back to Earth’s gravity.
Unexpected Mission Extension
NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to spend just over a week on the International Space Station (ISS) but ended up with a nine-month ordeal. The blame? Boeing’s Starliner experienced propulsion failures, resulting in a mission extension nobody anticipated. Upon return, their first stop was a rigorous 45-day rehabilitation program designed to help them reacclimate to life on Earth, a process not often considered when planning a swift mission.
Issues with the Starliner spacecraft meant it had to return to Earth without its crew, leaving the astronauts to wait for a replacement mission to bring them back. NASA chose SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon to complete this task, reinforcing just how tenuous space travel can be when piloted missions are at stake. While waiting, Wilmore and Williams continued their work on NASA and Boeing’s initiatives, albeit from space.
Setbacks and Responsibility
The unanticipated extension of their stay brought other complexities, including political disputes. Former President Donald Trump erroneously accused President Joe Biden of abandoning the astronauts in space. However, NASA maintained that an alternate plan was always in place to bring them home safely, undeterred by political drama. Wilmore himself acknowledged responsibility for the situation, admitting there were questions he should have asked as the spacecraft’s commander.
“Blame’ … I don’t like that term, but certainly there’s responsibility throughout all the programs, and certainly you can start with me. Responsibility with Boeing, yes. Responsibility with NASA, yes, all the way up and down the chain. We all are responsible. We all own this.” – Barry “Butch” Wilmore
Even Elon Musk, the SpaceX CEO, entered the fray to affirm the accelerated arrangements for their return amid political assertions. NASA emphasized that the mission’s integrity remained intact, with a detailed plan for return undisturbed by controversies or finger-pointing.
Rehabilitation and Ongoing Work
Returning to Earth posed its own challenges for the astronauts. The human body struggles with a prolonged stay in microgravity; muscle atrophy and balance issues are common, requiring careful rehabilitation. Both astronauts pushed through these challenges, with Wilmore facing renewed neck pain and Williams battling fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Now past the rigorous rehab, the astronauts are back at work collaborating with Boeing and NASA, ensuring future missions are safer. Williams, dealing with the lasting effects of microgravity, supports the recommendation for another uncrewed Starliner test to evaluate its readiness for manned flights.
“It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind.” – Williams
