Two NASA astronauts, who were unable to return to Earth as planned since last year due to the failure of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, are finally on their way back to Earth on Tuesday. The failure of the Starliner capsule caused a setback to their originally scheduled week-long mission.
A SpaceX Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts including Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore who were Starliner’s test pilots, undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 1.05am ET (5.05am GMT) on Tuesday. The spacecraft is set to splashdown off the Florida coast at approximately 6pm ET following a 17-hour descent.
Williams and Wilmore arrived at the ISS on June 6 last year with the intention of staying long enough to evaluate the Starliner’s docking and operational capabilities during its first crewed flight. However, due to technical issues and safety concerns, NASA and Boeing decided to send the capsule back to Earth without the astronauts in September.
Since then, the scenario has become politically charged, with SpaceX founder Elon Musk making unsubstantiated claims that the astronauts were “abandoned” by the Biden administration and Trump portraying the recent crew rotation flight as a special rescue mission ordered by the White House.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The astronauts themselves have expressed mixed views regarding Musk’s claims of offering to bring them back last year, while also stating that they do not feel abandoned or stranded.
Elon Musk’s involvement in the issue has resulted in disputes with other astronauts and space veterans, leading to public disagreements and accusations of lying.
Tuesday’s splashdown is set for 5.57pm ET, but the exact timing may change depending on an assessment of weather and sea conditions before the capsule’s final descent.
The return of the four Crew 9 astronauts will be broadcasted live on NASA TV and the new streaming service NASA+.
The future of Boeing’s Starliner capsule is currently uncertain, with engineers investigating the problems that occurred during its maiden crewed flight, including thruster issues and small helium leaks.
