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(NewsNation) — As NASA ponders however to bring location 2 Boeing Starliner astronauts who stay connected the International Space Station, they are conscionable good aboard the ISS, a erstwhile astronaut tells NewsNation.
“I benignant of resisted the thought that they were stranded. Coming backmost location safely is not an issue. It’s however they’re doing it,” said erstwhile astronaut Jose Hernandez.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams person been connected the ISS since aboriginal June connected what was planned to beryllium an eight-day mission. But the problems with their Starliner spacecraft began adjacent earlier they lifted disconnected connected June 5.
Their capsule sprang a leak successful propulsion-related plumbing. Boeing and NASA judged the tiny helium leak to beryllium unchangeable and isolated and proceeded with the trial flight. But arsenic Starliner approached the abstraction presumption the adjacent day, 4 much leaks erupted. Five thrusters besides failed. The capsule managed to dock safely, and 4 of the thrusters yet worked.
While formation managers person yet to find the basal origin for the thruster malfunctions, each but 1 of the 28 thrusters look good close now. But the fearfulness is that if excessively galore conk retired again, the crew’s information could beryllium jeopardized. The thrusters are needed astatine the flight’s extremity to support the capsule successful the close presumption for the captious deorbit burn.
So, they wait. But, arsenic Hernandez said, not “stranded.” NASA has besides pushed backmost astatine suggestions that Wilmore and Williams are stranded oregon stuck. NASA has said since June that successful an exigency astatine the abstraction presumption — similar a occurrence oregon decompression — Starliner could inactive beryllium utilized by the brace arsenic a lifeboat to leave.
A erstwhile NASA enforcement said Thursday the astronauts are “kind of stuck,” though surely not stranded. A caller resupply ngo brought Wilmore and Williams immoderate apparel of their ain and much than capable supplies for them and the 7 others aboard the ISS.
“Having 2 other mouths to provender and 2 other lungs to respire air: they person capable consumables to instrumentality attraction of that,” said Hernandez. He adds that determination is plentifulness to support the other unit members busy, and they person adjusted their regular routines to enactment acceptable successful space.
“The lone happening that changes is their workout protocol,” said Hernandez. “They person to workout (for) astir an hr and a fractional conscionable to support their muscles toned and bones density up.”
Meanwhile, the existent docket of proviso and unit missions to the ISS indispensable beryllium re-configured to find 2 bare seats for Wilmore and Williams.
Like Boeing’s Starliner, SpaceX’s Dragon is meant to transportation 4 astronauts. To marque country for Wilmore and Williams, NASA said Wednesday it could bump 2 of the 4 astronauts owed to motorboat to the abstraction presumption adjacent period with SpaceX.
The bare seats would beryllium reserved for Wilmore and Williams, but they would person to stay up determination until February. That’s due to the fact that presumption missions are expected to past astatine slightest six months. Some person lasted a year.
So wherefore are determination 2 companies, Boeing and SpaceX, successful the astronaut shuttle business? NASA deliberately hired 2 companies to get its crews to and from the abstraction station, conscionable arsenic it did for delivering cargo. The abstraction bureau considered it an security argumentation of sorts: If 1 unit oregon cargo supplier was grounded, the different could transportation the load.
‘You privation to person different alternate some for outgo reasons and for information reasons and options. So, NASA needs Boeing to beryllium successful,” said Scott Hubbard, a erstwhile NASA manager who presently serves connected the Safety Advisory Panel for SpaceX.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
