New Delhi: NASA has provided an update regarding the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore to Earth. According to the latest announcement from the US Space Agency, both astronauts are scheduled to return in February 2024, marking the end of their extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their journey back to Earth will be facilitated by SpaceX, rather than the Boeing Starliner capsule they initially traveled in.Delayed return due to technical issuesNASA Administrator Bill Nelson explained that the return of the astronauts was delayed due to a malfunction in the thruster system of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA has decided that Butch and Suni will return with Crew-9 next February, and Starliner will return without a crew, Nelson stated. The astronauts, who embarked on their mission in June 2023, were initially expected to return after a brief eight-day mission. However, ongoing technical challenges have extended their stay in space well beyond the original timeline.सुनीता विलियम्स और विल्मोर की वापसी कब #NASA #Space #SunitaWilliams #ReturnFromSpace #IndiaDaily@Vivekshandilyaa pic.twitter.com/jVXRIB1Dgc— India Daily Live (@IndiaDLive) August 24, 2024What is missions objectiveThe Boeing Starliner mission was a critical part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program, designed to demonstrate the spacecrafts ability to safely transport astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing, the aerospace company behind Starliner, sees this mission as essential in establishing itself as a competitor to Elon Musks SpaceX, which currently provides regular crew transportation services to NASA.Why Starliner is still in spaceThe Starliner spacecraft launched on June 5, 2023, and successfully docked at the ISS on June 6. The mission was meant to last only eight days, but due to issues with the spacecrafts propulsion system, the return journey has been repeatedly postponed. NASA and Boeing engineers are currently working to resolve these issues, focusing on the spacecrafts thrusters and propulsion system. Data analysis and simulations are being conducted on Earth to identify and fix the problems.Ongoing effortsNASA and Boeing continue to collaborate closely to address the technical difficulties. Engineers are exploring various scenarios using ground-based simulators to ensure a safe return for the astronauts. NASA plans to hold a press conference to provide further updates on the mission and the expected timeline for the astronauts return to Earth.
