BTN News: On June 5th, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams started the first crewed flight of the Star liner CST-100 spacecraft. They were supposed to return after seven days, but they are still in space because of a problem with the spacecraft.
The Mission of Starliner CST-100 and Its Purpose as a Space Taxi to ISS
The Starliner CST-100 is made by NASA and Boeing. It was designed to take astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Barry Butch Wilmore, who is 60 years old, and Sunita Suni Williams, who is 58 years old, were on this spacecraft when it launched.
Early Challenges Faced by Astronauts and Their Expertise in Handling Them
Soon after the mission began, the astronauts faced problems. But they managed to dock with the ISS because they are very skilled. Sunita Williams has spent the second most number of days in space for a woman. Before joining NASA, she was a captain in the U.S. Navy and a skilled combat pilot. She had been to the ISS before this mission.
Barry Butch Wilmore has spent 178 days in space. He has received many awards from NASA and the Navy. He has two NASA Space Flight Medals and two Navy Meritorious Service Medals.
Issues with the Starliner CST-100 and Their Impact on the Mission
Barry and Sunita are stuck on the ISS now because there are problems with the Starliner CST-100’s thrusters. These thrusters are needed to control the spacecraft’s path. There is also a helium leak, as reported by 20 Minutos. But NASA says the astronauts are safe and handling the situation well. They also said the Starliner can support a mission for up to 201 days.
Potential Plans for Astronauts Return and Ensuring Their Safe Journey Back to Earth
The astronauts might return to Earth in the Dragon spacecraft by SpaceX. This spacecraft is also docked at the ISS. NASA said the astronauts will come back at the right time to make sure they are safe.
