Two astronauts stuck in space indefinitely.. What's the story?

Arab Weather - The US space agency "NASA" has decided to postpone the return of astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, who were on a trip to the International Space Station aboard the Boeing "Starliner" spacecraft, indefinitely. This decision came as a result of the failure of some of the spacecraft's engines during the trip, according to the Washington Post.

Impact of faults on the mission

The astronauts' mission was scheduled to last about eight days after arriving at the station on June 6, but the mission was extended to 51 days. The delay was due to five engines suddenly shutting down as the spacecraft approached the station, in addition to small but persistent helium leaks in the propulsion system.

• NASA and Boeing Investigations

NASA and Boeing are currently examining the underlying causes of the engine failure, as engineers continue to investigate the problem and assess the safety of the vehicle to return the astronauts to Earth.

NASA officials were unable to provide a return date, but a decision on Starliner's status is expected to come after a comprehensive review by the agency's senior leadership and Boeing, which could be scheduled as early as next week.

In case of emergency, the astronauts could return to Earth on Starliner. Additionally, SpaceX's Dragon capsule could be used as a backup if needed.

This is the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner, a test of the vehicle's performance before NASA authorizes a long-duration mission for a crew of four astronauts to stay on the space station for up to six months.

Despite the challenges they faced, the astronauts expressed confidence in Starliner and enjoyed their long stay in space. Wilmore, 61, is a former Navy commander and is married with two daughters, while Williams, 58, is also a former Navy commander and is married with a family.

Previous cases of extending space residences

This is not the first time that astronauts' stays on the International Space Station have been extended due to an emergency. This happened in 2022 when American astronaut Frank Rubio was forced to extend his stay due to a leak in a Russian spacecraft, which made him break the record for the longest continuous stay by an American astronaut.

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