Have you ever planned a weekend away and found yourself stuck for nine months? Probably not, unless you're Butch e Sunita WilliamsThe two astronauts, victims of a series of setbacks worthy of the best comedy of errors, are about to be “rescued” by the Crew-10 mission, finally approved for launch on March 12.
Their involuntary space odyssey, caused by Problems with Boeing Starliner capsule, is coming to a close amid worn-out engine casings, delayed refueling, and complex logistical dances. What was supposed to be a routine test has turned into a forced stay that has the traits of a cosmic farce.
When the test flight becomes an extended vacation
Il Mission Launch Crew-10 has been confirmed for March 12, with an eloquent “go to proceed” from the team NASA, all seasoned with some “small” technical details still to be resolved. It’s not exactly reassuring, but it’s what we have. The target? Bring four new astronauts to the International Space Station and, above all, bring home the two Williams, whose mission has been “slightly” extended from a few days to nine months. And to think that someone complains when the plane is delayed by an hour.
Irony of fate, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Mission Operations Directorate, says that “for most astronauts, extra time in orbit is truly a gift.” Sure, like when you get an ugly sweater for Christmas and you have to pretend to like it. Nine months of “gift” is a bit too much even for the most reckless spirit of adventure.
The problem, as we know, arose with the Boeing Starliner, the capsule that was supposed to bring them back to Earth. But hey, that's exactly what test flights are for: finding out if they work. Brilliant observation by Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager. Fortunately, the two astronauts had been trained for a possible extended stay.
Complex Space Logistics (or How to Explain a Delay)
Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program, explained that one of the problems that prolonged the Williams' stay was the engine coating of the SpaceX capsule, which has already been used on three previous missions. “This will be its fourth mission,” Stich said, noting that the thruster casings are starting to show signs of wear.
And then there's the question of supplies. The Grumman NG-22 Northup resupply mission, originally scheduled for February, has reportedly been pushed back to June for “some rework on the vehicle.” Translation: something went wrong and now there’s a problem with food and other supplies. The priority has changed to “food and other supplies.” Basically, while we’re worrying about doing our weekly grocery shopping, they’re figuring out how many rolls of toilet paper they’ll need to survive in space for months.
Crew-10, the big day is approaching
The team which will depart on March 12 includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain e Nicholas Ayers, the JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and the Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. This will be McClain's second spaceflight, after spending 204 days as a flight engineer during Expeditions 58 and 59.
Meanwhile, the wait for Butch e Sunita continues. Publicly, the president Donald Trump and the owner of SpaceX and advisor to Trump, Elon Musk, have requested their rapid return, but it is unclear how much this affected the launch timing of Mission Crew-10. Politics, as always, finds a way to infiltrate space.
