NASA's Sunita Williams Faces 3 Deadly Scenarios With Boeing Starliner

BY: RICHA KAUSHIK

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over two months. Initially planned for an eight-day mission, their return was scheduled for June 14 but has been indefinitely delayed due to a malfunction in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

Two-Month Delay  on Starliner Mission

Rudy Ridolfi, a former Space System Commander, outlined three dangerous scenarios if NASA chooses to use the faulty Starliner for the astronauts' return. These scenarios highlight the risks associated with the spacecraft's current issues.

Three Dangerous Scenarios  with Starliner

A too-steep reentry angle could cause the Starliner’s heat shield to fail due to increased friction, potentially leading to the capsule burning up in the atmosphere. This scenario poses a severe risk of the astronauts being vaporized during reentry.

Scenario 1: Too Steep Re- entry Angle

If the reentry angle is too shallow, the capsule could bounce off Earth's atmosphere and be thrown back into space. This would leave the astronauts stranded in orbit, requiring an urgent retrieval mission by NASA.

Scenario 2: Too shallow Re-entry Angle

With several thrusters already nonfunctional, there is a risk of further failures during the return. In this scenario, the astronauts could be left floating in space with only 96 hours of oxygen and power, making it a race against time to fix the issue or risk a fatal outcome.

Scenario 3: Additional Thruster Failure

The boeing Starliner, launched on June 5, encountered a critical issue with its thrusters, which are essential for propelling the spacecraft back to earth. This glitch has lest the astronauts stuck on the ISS, awaiting a safe return solution. 

Glitch in Starliner's Thrusters

NASA is considering using SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to bring the astronauts back, but this option would further delay their return until February 2025. The uncertainty has led to widespread speculation and concerns about the astronauts' wellbeing aboard the ISS.

Potential Alternative with SpaceX Dragon

Ridolfi suggested that NASA should consider a rescue mission using SpaceX's Crew Dragon Capsule as safer alternative to faculty Starliner. He empasized that importance of prioritizing the astronaut's safety and thoroughly evaluating all risk before proceeding.

Call For SpaceX Dragon Rescue Mission