NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are currently stranded on the International Space Station, awaiting their return to Earth. The reason for their extended stay is the discovery of anomalies in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during its launch. These anomalies have raised concerns about the safety of the spacecraft for the return journey.
As NASA explores safe options to bring the astronauts back, the question of whether the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could offer any assistance has arisen. ISRO chief S Somanath, in a podcast with BeerBiceps, clarified that ISRO is not equipped to provide direct help. He stated, “Right now we can’t do anything as direct help because we don’t have a craft that will go there up and save her.”
Somanath further explained that only the US or Russia have the capabilities to bring the astronauts back. “The only possibilities are either from Russia or the US. The US has the Crew Dragon vehicle which can go and Russia has Soyuz which could bring them. Either of these can only save them,” he said.
While acknowledging the anomalies detected in Starliner, Somanath expressed his belief that the situation is not critical. “The Boeing Starliner showed some anomalies, and [it appears to me that] they [NASA] don’t want to take risks…because it has shown some issues in the past, even before launch,” he explained. He highlighted that several launch postponements had occurred previously due to concerns about the Starliner, suggesting that NASA is prioritizing safety in this return mission.
Somanath suggested that NASA could utilize the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the return mission. He believes this would be a viable option, given SpaceX’s successful track record with its spacecraft.
Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, becoming the first astronauts to fly on the mission. Even before their launch, a small helium leak was detected in the propulsion system of the capsule. While Boeing and NASA considered the leak to be stable and isolated, further complications arose as Starliner approached the International Space Station. Four more leaks erupted, accompanied by the failure of five thrusters. These incidents have resulted in a delay for the astronauts’ return. They were initially scheduled for a week-long mission at the station but have now been there for over two months.
NASA is set to make a decision on August 24th regarding the safety of the Starliner for the return mission. The agency will assess the situation and determine whether the spacecraft is sufficiently safe to bring the astronauts back to Earth.
