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The US Sun
Nasa to decide fate of Boeing astronauts stranded on ISS in hours but spacesuit quirk means they may be stuck until 2025
By Millie Turner,
4 hours ago
NASA is set to determine the fate of two stranded astronauts tomorrow, after their ride home aboard Boeing's Starliner was deemed too risky.
Butch Wilmore, 61, and Suni Williams, 58, flew to the International Space Station (ISS) for an eight-day mission in early June.
Both astronauts are "very familiar" with the ISS, according to Russ DeLoach, Nasa’s chief of safety and mission assurance Credit: AFPThe $1.5billion spacecraft was marred by setbacks before and after the launch, such as issues with the oxygen valve and helium leaks Credit: NASA / Wikipedia / Creative Commons
Nasa boss Bill Nelson will hold an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review on Saturday (August 24) for the stranded crew.
The meeting will be followed by a live news conference soon after from the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, which is hoped to offer an update on their length of stay.
During a briefing on last week, Nasa officials said no return flight had been confirmed, but that Starliner would be the astronauts' emergency plan B.
Wilmore and Williams are reportedly unable to hitch a lift with a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which regularly transports humans and cargo to the orbital outpost.
The spacesuits Wilmore and Williams arrived in are only suitable for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, and will not work with the Dragon vessel.
The Dragon spacecraft has its own range of spacesuits that it can operate with.
With both Wilmore and Williams are currently on their third mission, Coogan, it may well be their last Credit: Robert Markowitz / NASA-Johnson Space Center
'Bonus time'
Both astronauts are "very familiar" with the ISS, according to Russ DeLoach, Nasa’s chief of safety and mission assurance.
The Starliner launch, it's first crewed test flight, marked the third mission to the ISS for each of them.
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