NASA narrows Crew-9 lineup to accommodate astronauts aboard ISS
Reuters
Fri, August 30, 2024
(Reuters) - NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had arrived on Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.
Last week, NASA officials deemed issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, dealing a major blow to Boeing's struggling space program.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, initially set to launch four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, has had its mission, dubbed Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA to "no earlier than" Sept. 24.
Cardman, initially selected as the mission's commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, NASA said in a release.
Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and fly back with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.
Hague, originally designated as the pilot, will now take over as commander, while Gorbunov will retain his role as mission specialist, the space agency said.
NASA's decision to enlist Boeing's chief space rival, SpaceX, to return the astronauts marks another setback for the embattled U.S. planemaker and represents one of NASA's most consequential decisions in years.
Boeing had pinned its space hopes on the success of the Starliner test mission, hoping it would redeem the troubled program after years of development challenges.
(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
Boeing Execs Yelled at NASA Leaders When They Didn't Get What They Wanted
Victor Tangermann
Fri, August 30, 2024
Over the weekend, NASA made the tough decision to return its two stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on board a SpaceX spacecraft sometime next year, forcing Boeing's plagued Starliner to return empty.
The doomed spacecraft experienced several thruster malfunctions before and during its journey to the International Space Station, forcing NASA to come up with an alternative ride back for its crew.
And it was a fateful blow that must've come as quite a shock to Boeing's leadership.
As the New York Post reports, Boeing executives were fuming as NASA made its decision. The meetings were "heated" and led to execs yelling and arguing, as one NASA leader told the publication under condition of anonymity.
"Boeing wasn’t happy," the source told the newspaper. "And they made that perfectly clear to us. But what’s the headline if there’s a catastrophic failure? It’s not ‘Boeing killed two astronauts,’ it’s ‘NASA killed two astronauts.’ So no, it’s better safe than sorry."
Mark Nappi, the head of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program, kept things relatively civil in an email to employees obtained by the NY Post.
"I know this is not the decision we had hoped for, but we stand ready to carry out the actions necessary to support NASA’s decision," he wrote. "The focus remains first and foremost on ensuring the safety of the crew and spacecraft."
Nappi added that he had the "utmost confidence in this team to prepare Starliner for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
Earlier this week, a Boeing employee told the NY Post that the team was left "humiliated" following NASA's announcement, while alluding to all of the other crises the aerospace giant had been through over the last couple of years.
"We have had so many embarrassments lately, we’re under a microscope," the worker said. "This just made it, like, 100 times worse."
Clearly the incident has fractured relations between NASA and one of its biggest contractors.
"Boeing was convinced that the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed," the NASA exec told the NY Post. "Strongly disagreed."
"The thinking around here was that Boeing was being wildly irresponsible," they added.
It's a major setback for Boeing and it remains unclear what the plan will be once it makes its return journey. Some experts suggest that the company may ditch the project entirely. If it does try again, it'll have to act fast, as the ISS is set to be decommissioned in roughly five years.
On Thursday, NASA announced that Starliner will attempt to make its uncrewed return home on September 6.
"Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States," the agency wrote in the update.
Regardless of how it fares during its descent, Boeing's first uncrewed test flight has already been a disaster for Boeing — and upcoming meetings about Starliner's future will likely remain just as tense.
NASA narrows Crew-9 lineup to accommodate astronauts aboard ISS
Reuters
Fri, August 30, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. MDT·1 min read
(Reuters) - NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had arrived on Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.
Last week, NASA officials deemed issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, dealing a major blow to Boeing's struggling space program.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, initially set to launch four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, has had its mission, dubbed Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA to "no earlier than" Sept. 24.
Cardman, initially selected as the mission's commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, NASA said in a release.
Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and fly back with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.
Hague, originally designated as the pilot, will now take over as commander, while Gorbunov will retain his role as mission specialist, the space agency said.
NASA's decision to enlist Boeing's chief space rival, SpaceX, to return the astronauts marks another setback for the embattled U.S. planemaker and represents one of NASA's most consequential decisions in years.
Boeing had pinned its space hopes on the success of the Starliner test mission, hoping it would redeem the troubled program after years of development challenges.
(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
NASA sets return date for empty Starliner spacecraft, crew will remain in space until 2025
Max Hauptman, USA TODAY
Updated Fri, August 30, 2024
After almost three months of waiting and delays, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has a tentative return date, although it will do so without its two-person crew.
On Thursday, NASA said that, “pending weather and operational readiness,” the Starliner will undock from the International Space Station no earlier than 6:04 EDT on September 6. Following a six-hour flight, the spacecraft should touch down a few minutes after midnight on September 7 at a landing zone at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, where it will then be recovered and transported to the Boeing Starliner factory at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who flew aboard the Starliner during its inaugural crewed flight on June 5, will remain at the International Space Station for another six months until they return in February aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
An autonomous return
The Starliner will make the return journey autonomously, according to NASA. The spacecraft completed a similar uncrewed entry and landing during an earlier orbital flight test.
“Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States,” the agency said.
See timeline: 2 months after Starliner launched, astronauts still haven’t returned
The Starliner's troubled history
The Starliner has had an often-troubled history since Boeing was awarded a $4.8 billion contract in 2014 to develop a spacecraft capable of making crewed trips to low-Earth orbit.
The spacecraft’s inaugural launch with astronauts aboard was initially scheduled for May 6, but was scrubbed just hour before liftoff after engineers discovered a technical anomaly. A second attempted launch in June 1 was scrubbed as well, this time only minutes before liftoff, due to a computer issue.
When the Starliner finally did launch on June 5 with Wilmore and Williams aboard, it was only scheduled to spend a week docked at the International Space Station. As the Starliner arrived in orbit, however, NASA announced that helium leaks had been discovered aboard the spacecraft. Throughout June and July, Boeing and NASA repeatedly delayed the Starliner’s return, although the space agency was emphatic that the Starliner’s crew was in no way stranded at the space station.
On August 24, NASA announced that the Starliner would return to Earth without its crew.
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at the time.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boeing Starliner spacecraft has return date scheduled, NASA says
Fix toilets, grow plants, call home: Stuck astronauts have 'constant to-do list'
Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
Updated Thu, August 29, 2024
Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams are stuck up in space for another six months after launching on a trip that was supposed to last just over a week, but they'll have plenty to keep them busy on the International Space Station.
The two veteran space travelers arrived at the space station in June aboard the Boeing Starliner, designed to shuttle people and supplies to the space station for NASA. After issues with the craft's thrusters and a helium leak, officials decided the Starliner would return to Earth without them.
Now, Wilmore and Williams are set to join the delayed SpaceX Crew-9 for its six-month rotation mission, which could start on Sept. 24. (That mission hasn't launched yet and could be delayed, too.)
The news that the astronauts will remain in space for months offers an answer to what had been an open-ended question as to when Wilmore and Williams would have their feet back on the ground. If all goes according to plan, they should be hitching a ride with Crew-9 in late February.
The pair have both ventured into space twice before and are military veterans; they know how to be adaptable and resilient, said Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut who has logged over 570 hours in space.
"Now they know what the new plan is, I think they're probably both embracing it as best they can," Massimino told USA TODAY. "In their career as military aviators, they've had plans change and know how to be flexible."
WHAT WENT WRONG? Boeing Starliner astronauts are 'stuck' aboard space station until February
What will the astronauts do now?
Wilmore and Williams have integrated as part of the team on board the space station, which means they're performing routine maintenance tasks and conducting science experiments daily. In the over two months since they arrived, they've done research on fluid physics, plant facility maintenance, robotic operations and observations of Earth, according to NASA.
Their experiments aim to find ways to overcome a lack of gravity to water plants: "Providing adequate water and nutrition to plants grown in space is critical as missions expand in low Earth orbit and beyond to the Moon and eventually Mars," NASA said.
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is pictured installing a light meter inside the vegetable production facility to obtain light measurements and adjust the light settings inside the plant research device.
Maintenance of the space station is an ongoing operation for astronauts on board, according to Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the space station. The station has all kinds of systems that make it possible for humans to survive in space and need repairs and maintenance: fans, air conditioners, electronic communications equipment, carbon dioxide removal systems, and the list goes on.
"There's a constant to-do list. Literally every day of your life on the space station, or almost every day, there will be some kind of maintenance. Fix the toilet or change out a fan or light bulb," Virts told USA TODAY.
Six months isn't an unusual length of time for astronauts to spend aboard the space station, so there's no worry about food or other supplies running out for them, and routine supply shipments are sent up. All things considered, it's a pretty safe place for them to be when something on a spaceship has gone wrong, Massimino said.
Astronauts' daily lives in space don't look too different than our lives on Earth, he said. Aside from the scientific research and spacewalks they might complete, astronauts usually exercise at least six days a week. They have time off their tasks on the weekends and celebrate holidays in space. They often pick up hobbies like reading or photography – and what incredible subject material to shoot.
Wilmore and Williams have snapped hundreds of photographs of Earth, including auroras and sunrises and sunsets, NASA said.
"It's a great opportunity to be able to spend all that time in space," Massimino said.
The astronauts can also remain connected to family and friends, with access to email, phone and video calls, Massimino said.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams speaks into the microphone during a HAM Radio session with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
How does it feel to be 'stuck' in space?
Virts knows firsthand what it's like to get the news that he won't be returning to Earth as scheduled. In 2015, he was on board the space station when his trip was extended from a planned 169 days to 200 days after a Russian cargo spaceship lost control and burned up in the atmosphere. Before his return was rescheduled as an investigation was underway, Virts was left to wonder how long he'd be away from home.
"It was just a giant unknown," he said. "We'd all made our summer plans. I had a family, there was travel that was involved. All that stuff was set up, and it just suddenly ended."
Virts said it was hard on his family. His teenage son learned to drive while he was away in space. When he got back and had recovered from the effects of space on his body, the two went car shopping.
"There's just daily life," he said. "Basically, all astronaut spouses are single parents while those astronauts are in space. So it's not easy."
But he said Wilmore and Williams may have looked on the bright side when they first learned they weren't returning on schedule. Eight days (the length of their originally planned trip) is hardly enough time to enjoy space.
Delays are a risk of space travel
It's not the first time a space trip ended up lasting much longer than anticipated due to mechanical issues with the spacecraft.
Astronaut Frank Rubio broke the record for the longest consecutive time spent in space by an American after the capsule meant to take him back to Earth was damaged by a piece of space junk. He landed back on Earth on Sept. 27, 2023, after 371 days in orbit.
It was out of an abundance of caution that NASA and Boeing decided to bring Starliner back without Wilmore and Williams. Massimino said they're likely confident that the ship will come back safely while empty, but adding people in "raises the stakes."
Delays and issues with spacecraft, while unexpected, are one of the possibilities that all astronauts face when they set off, Virts said. It was a surprise for him when his trip home was delayed, but in the case of Wilmore and Williams, their trip was on a test flight.
"I'm sure that the two Boeing astronauts knew that this might happen," he said. "You never know. It's space travel. Things happen."
Contributing: Eric Lagatta
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What will stuck astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams do now?
Stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts to stay six more months in space – what this means for the future of commercial spaceflight
Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University
Thu, August 29, 2024
The Boeing Starliner docked with the International Space Station on July 3 2024, during the latest mission. Nasa
Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore must have heaved a sigh of relief when they opened the hatch and floated into the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6 2024. It was the first time the Starliner spacecraft they arrived on had ever carried people.
Built by aerospace manufacturing giant Boeing, Starliner had become the second commercial spacecraft to carry astronauts to the ISS after the Crew Dragon, built by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, which has already completed eight crew transportation flights to the orbiting outpost.
Nasa’s decision more than a decade ago to offload crew transport to private companies like SpaceX and Boeing was seen as a bold step. The private space sector is now booming, with fully private flights to Earth orbit already happening, and plans for commercially funded space stations in the pipeline.
Wilmore and Williams had been expecting to travel back to Earth on Starliner just eight days after reaching the ISS. Little did they know that, more than two months later, they would still be up there, waiting for Nasa and Boeing to complete a detailed analysis of whether it was safe to send them back on Starliner.
On August 24, the US space agency announced that it did not have enough confidence to send the two astronauts back on the Boeing spacecraft. So, what does this mean for the two astronauts, and for the future of commercial spaceflight?
First of all, Williams and Wilmore are not in danger. They are safe inside the ISS, with plenty of food, clean water and air. They are now expected to stay on the ISS for eight months and return next year on a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore (centre) pose with astronauts Michael Barratt (left) and Tracy Dyson aboard the ISS. Nasa
This planned Dragon flight, called Crew-9, will launch in September and return in February 2025. It may now carry only two rather than the intended four astronauts up to the ISS, to make room for the two unexpected crew members on the way back.
The fact that such an option is available is a triumph for commercial spaceflight. SpaceX has become a reliable choice for Nasa to ferry its astronauts to the ISS. In addition to the eight crew rotation flights to date, SpaceX has launched more than 20 uncrewed supply missions to the ISS since 2012.
Read more: Astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station after yet more problems with Boeing's beleaguered Starliner
Following the loss of 14 astronauts in two Space Shuttle disasters – Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003 – Nasa can ill afford more fatal accidents against the backdrop of a perilous financial landscape. This is why Nasa administrator Bill Nelson decided that Starliner would not carry the astronauts back to Earth.
Starliner’s first crewed flight to the ISS launched on June 5 2024, having previously made two uncrewed test flights to it. This latest mission was plagued by helium leaks – discovered both before launch and during flight – and malfunctioning thrusters, the engines used for manoeuvring Starliner in space. Helium is used to push propellant into Starliner’s thrusters, so these malfunctions could have jeopardised manoeuvres to approach and dock with the ISS.
Critical functions
The thrusters’ correct function is also critical to ensuring Starliner’s crew module, the part of the spacecraft in which astronauts travel, enters Earth’s atmosphere at a safe angle. Re-enter too steeply and the spacecraft could disintegrate at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. Enter at too shallow an angle and it could skim off the atmosphere into space again.
For most of the mission, the crew module is attached to a service module which supplies the power and houses the thrusters. Issues with the thrusters in Starliner’s service module had already emerged during its uncrewed test flight in 2022, which nevertheless successfully docked to the ISS.
This followed a first test flight in 2019 which failed due to a combination of an onboard clock error and confused communication. In both cases, the crew module made it down to Earth in one piece.
With astronauts aboard, however, Nasa officials were taking no chances. The uncrewed return of Starliner, scheduled for early September, will allow engineers on Earth to monitor the behaviour of the thrusters once more. They will also look out for potential issues related to the helium leaks. These are quite common in rockets, since helium atoms are very small and do not stick well to other atoms – meaning they can wriggle through tiny pores rather easily.
Unfortunately, the service module separates from the crew module during the return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere. So, it will not be possible to inspect the thrusters on the ground.
Competitive field
Having been awarded US$4.2 billion (£3.2 billion) by Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program in 2014, Boeing has taken a decade to accomplish its first – ill-fated – crewed mission to the ISS, using a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. SpaceX – on a US$2.6 billion (£2 billion) contract from the same Nasa program – managed this feat faster, more cheaply (for Nasa at least), and more comprehensively.
SpaceX has also managed to routinely return the first stage boosters from its Falcon 9 rocket from space to the ground, landing them using engines in an upright position on a barge in the ocean.
The Falcon 9 consists of two powered sections: the first-stage booster carries the second stage of the rocket to a predetermined altitude and speed. Returning the first stage allows it to be re-used, bringing down launch costs. Before SpaceX incorporated the technology for re-use, rocket stages were generally discarded.
The company is also developing Starship, which consists of a huge space vehicle intended to carry humans or cargo on missions to the Moon or Mars, as well as the most powerful rocket ever built.
With other private companies such as Sierra Space and Blue Origin (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s space company) also making big steps in the human spaceflight business, Boeing is facing strong competition. The company has also had to deal with heavy criticism following two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max aircraft and a door blow-out during a Boeing 737 Max 9 flight.
However, SpaceX received unwelcome news on August 28 when a returning first-stage Falcon booster fell over and exploded. The Federal Aviation Administration has now grounded all of its Falcon 9 rockets – one of which is meant to carry Crew-9 to the ISS in September.
Above all, Nasa’s decision to prioritise the safety of Williams and Wilmore, and to work with a commercial partner in finding a solution, is another example of giving the private space industry the confidence and trust required for commercial crewed spaceflight to keep expanding.
It sends a message to all that trying something new does not necessarily mean being reckless. In this sense, it is a triumph of wisdom and caution.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jacco van Loon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Victor Tangermann
Fri, August 30, 2024
Over the weekend, NASA made the tough decision to return its two stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on board a SpaceX spacecraft sometime next year, forcing Boeing's plagued Starliner to return empty.
The doomed spacecraft experienced several thruster malfunctions before and during its journey to the International Space Station, forcing NASA to come up with an alternative ride back for its crew.
And it was a fateful blow that must've come as quite a shock to Boeing's leadership.
As the New York Post reports, Boeing executives were fuming as NASA made its decision. The meetings were "heated" and led to execs yelling and arguing, as one NASA leader told the publication under condition of anonymity.
"Boeing wasn’t happy," the source told the newspaper. "And they made that perfectly clear to us. But what’s the headline if there’s a catastrophic failure? It’s not ‘Boeing killed two astronauts,’ it’s ‘NASA killed two astronauts.’ So no, it’s better safe than sorry."
Mark Nappi, the head of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program, kept things relatively civil in an email to employees obtained by the NY Post.
"I know this is not the decision we had hoped for, but we stand ready to carry out the actions necessary to support NASA’s decision," he wrote. "The focus remains first and foremost on ensuring the safety of the crew and spacecraft."
Nappi added that he had the "utmost confidence in this team to prepare Starliner for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
Earlier this week, a Boeing employee told the NY Post that the team was left "humiliated" following NASA's announcement, while alluding to all of the other crises the aerospace giant had been through over the last couple of years.
"We have had so many embarrassments lately, we’re under a microscope," the worker said. "This just made it, like, 100 times worse."
Clearly the incident has fractured relations between NASA and one of its biggest contractors.
"Boeing was convinced that the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed," the NASA exec told the NY Post. "Strongly disagreed."
"The thinking around here was that Boeing was being wildly irresponsible," they added.
It's a major setback for Boeing and it remains unclear what the plan will be once it makes its return journey. Some experts suggest that the company may ditch the project entirely. If it does try again, it'll have to act fast, as the ISS is set to be decommissioned in roughly five years.
On Thursday, NASA announced that Starliner will attempt to make its uncrewed return home on September 6.
"Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States," the agency wrote in the update.
Regardless of how it fares during its descent, Boeing's first uncrewed test flight has already been a disaster for Boeing — and upcoming meetings about Starliner's future will likely remain just as tense.
NASA narrows Crew-9 lineup to accommodate astronauts aboard ISS
Reuters
Fri, August 30, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. MDT·1 min read
(Reuters) - NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had arrived on Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.
Last week, NASA officials deemed issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, dealing a major blow to Boeing's struggling space program.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, initially set to launch four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, has had its mission, dubbed Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA to "no earlier than" Sept. 24.
Cardman, initially selected as the mission's commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, NASA said in a release.
Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and fly back with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.
Hague, originally designated as the pilot, will now take over as commander, while Gorbunov will retain his role as mission specialist, the space agency said.
NASA's decision to enlist Boeing's chief space rival, SpaceX, to return the astronauts marks another setback for the embattled U.S. planemaker and represents one of NASA's most consequential decisions in years.
Boeing had pinned its space hopes on the success of the Starliner test mission, hoping it would redeem the troubled program after years of development challenges.
(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
NASA sets return date for empty Starliner spacecraft, crew will remain in space until 2025
Max Hauptman, USA TODAY
Updated Fri, August 30, 2024
After almost three months of waiting and delays, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has a tentative return date, although it will do so without its two-person crew.
On Thursday, NASA said that, “pending weather and operational readiness,” the Starliner will undock from the International Space Station no earlier than 6:04 EDT on September 6. Following a six-hour flight, the spacecraft should touch down a few minutes after midnight on September 7 at a landing zone at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, where it will then be recovered and transported to the Boeing Starliner factory at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who flew aboard the Starliner during its inaugural crewed flight on June 5, will remain at the International Space Station for another six months until they return in February aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
An autonomous return
The Starliner will make the return journey autonomously, according to NASA. The spacecraft completed a similar uncrewed entry and landing during an earlier orbital flight test.
“Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States,” the agency said.
See timeline: 2 months after Starliner launched, astronauts still haven’t returned
The Starliner's troubled history
The Starliner has had an often-troubled history since Boeing was awarded a $4.8 billion contract in 2014 to develop a spacecraft capable of making crewed trips to low-Earth orbit.
The spacecraft’s inaugural launch with astronauts aboard was initially scheduled for May 6, but was scrubbed just hour before liftoff after engineers discovered a technical anomaly. A second attempted launch in June 1 was scrubbed as well, this time only minutes before liftoff, due to a computer issue.
When the Starliner finally did launch on June 5 with Wilmore and Williams aboard, it was only scheduled to spend a week docked at the International Space Station. As the Starliner arrived in orbit, however, NASA announced that helium leaks had been discovered aboard the spacecraft. Throughout June and July, Boeing and NASA repeatedly delayed the Starliner’s return, although the space agency was emphatic that the Starliner’s crew was in no way stranded at the space station.
On August 24, NASA announced that the Starliner would return to Earth without its crew.
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at the time.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boeing Starliner spacecraft has return date scheduled, NASA says
Fix toilets, grow plants, call home: Stuck astronauts have 'constant to-do list'
Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
Updated Thu, August 29, 2024
Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams are stuck up in space for another six months after launching on a trip that was supposed to last just over a week, but they'll have plenty to keep them busy on the International Space Station.
The two veteran space travelers arrived at the space station in June aboard the Boeing Starliner, designed to shuttle people and supplies to the space station for NASA. After issues with the craft's thrusters and a helium leak, officials decided the Starliner would return to Earth without them.
Now, Wilmore and Williams are set to join the delayed SpaceX Crew-9 for its six-month rotation mission, which could start on Sept. 24. (That mission hasn't launched yet and could be delayed, too.)
The news that the astronauts will remain in space for months offers an answer to what had been an open-ended question as to when Wilmore and Williams would have their feet back on the ground. If all goes according to plan, they should be hitching a ride with Crew-9 in late February.
The pair have both ventured into space twice before and are military veterans; they know how to be adaptable and resilient, said Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut who has logged over 570 hours in space.
"Now they know what the new plan is, I think they're probably both embracing it as best they can," Massimino told USA TODAY. "In their career as military aviators, they've had plans change and know how to be flexible."
WHAT WENT WRONG? Boeing Starliner astronauts are 'stuck' aboard space station until February
What will the astronauts do now?
Wilmore and Williams have integrated as part of the team on board the space station, which means they're performing routine maintenance tasks and conducting science experiments daily. In the over two months since they arrived, they've done research on fluid physics, plant facility maintenance, robotic operations and observations of Earth, according to NASA.
Their experiments aim to find ways to overcome a lack of gravity to water plants: "Providing adequate water and nutrition to plants grown in space is critical as missions expand in low Earth orbit and beyond to the Moon and eventually Mars," NASA said.
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is pictured installing a light meter inside the vegetable production facility to obtain light measurements and adjust the light settings inside the plant research device.
Maintenance of the space station is an ongoing operation for astronauts on board, according to Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the space station. The station has all kinds of systems that make it possible for humans to survive in space and need repairs and maintenance: fans, air conditioners, electronic communications equipment, carbon dioxide removal systems, and the list goes on.
"There's a constant to-do list. Literally every day of your life on the space station, or almost every day, there will be some kind of maintenance. Fix the toilet or change out a fan or light bulb," Virts told USA TODAY.
Six months isn't an unusual length of time for astronauts to spend aboard the space station, so there's no worry about food or other supplies running out for them, and routine supply shipments are sent up. All things considered, it's a pretty safe place for them to be when something on a spaceship has gone wrong, Massimino said.
Astronauts' daily lives in space don't look too different than our lives on Earth, he said. Aside from the scientific research and spacewalks they might complete, astronauts usually exercise at least six days a week. They have time off their tasks on the weekends and celebrate holidays in space. They often pick up hobbies like reading or photography – and what incredible subject material to shoot.
Wilmore and Williams have snapped hundreds of photographs of Earth, including auroras and sunrises and sunsets, NASA said.
"It's a great opportunity to be able to spend all that time in space," Massimino said.
The astronauts can also remain connected to family and friends, with access to email, phone and video calls, Massimino said.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams speaks into the microphone during a HAM Radio session with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
How does it feel to be 'stuck' in space?
Virts knows firsthand what it's like to get the news that he won't be returning to Earth as scheduled. In 2015, he was on board the space station when his trip was extended from a planned 169 days to 200 days after a Russian cargo spaceship lost control and burned up in the atmosphere. Before his return was rescheduled as an investigation was underway, Virts was left to wonder how long he'd be away from home.
"It was just a giant unknown," he said. "We'd all made our summer plans. I had a family, there was travel that was involved. All that stuff was set up, and it just suddenly ended."
Virts said it was hard on his family. His teenage son learned to drive while he was away in space. When he got back and had recovered from the effects of space on his body, the two went car shopping.
"There's just daily life," he said. "Basically, all astronaut spouses are single parents while those astronauts are in space. So it's not easy."
But he said Wilmore and Williams may have looked on the bright side when they first learned they weren't returning on schedule. Eight days (the length of their originally planned trip) is hardly enough time to enjoy space.
Delays are a risk of space travel
It's not the first time a space trip ended up lasting much longer than anticipated due to mechanical issues with the spacecraft.
Astronaut Frank Rubio broke the record for the longest consecutive time spent in space by an American after the capsule meant to take him back to Earth was damaged by a piece of space junk. He landed back on Earth on Sept. 27, 2023, after 371 days in orbit.
It was out of an abundance of caution that NASA and Boeing decided to bring Starliner back without Wilmore and Williams. Massimino said they're likely confident that the ship will come back safely while empty, but adding people in "raises the stakes."
Delays and issues with spacecraft, while unexpected, are one of the possibilities that all astronauts face when they set off, Virts said. It was a surprise for him when his trip home was delayed, but in the case of Wilmore and Williams, their trip was on a test flight.
"I'm sure that the two Boeing astronauts knew that this might happen," he said. "You never know. It's space travel. Things happen."
Contributing: Eric Lagatta
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What will stuck astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams do now?
Stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts to stay six more months in space – what this means for the future of commercial spaceflight
Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University
Thu, August 29, 2024
The Boeing Starliner docked with the International Space Station on July 3 2024, during the latest mission. Nasa
Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore must have heaved a sigh of relief when they opened the hatch and floated into the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6 2024. It was the first time the Starliner spacecraft they arrived on had ever carried people.
Built by aerospace manufacturing giant Boeing, Starliner had become the second commercial spacecraft to carry astronauts to the ISS after the Crew Dragon, built by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, which has already completed eight crew transportation flights to the orbiting outpost.
Nasa’s decision more than a decade ago to offload crew transport to private companies like SpaceX and Boeing was seen as a bold step. The private space sector is now booming, with fully private flights to Earth orbit already happening, and plans for commercially funded space stations in the pipeline.
Wilmore and Williams had been expecting to travel back to Earth on Starliner just eight days after reaching the ISS. Little did they know that, more than two months later, they would still be up there, waiting for Nasa and Boeing to complete a detailed analysis of whether it was safe to send them back on Starliner.
On August 24, the US space agency announced that it did not have enough confidence to send the two astronauts back on the Boeing spacecraft. So, what does this mean for the two astronauts, and for the future of commercial spaceflight?
First of all, Williams and Wilmore are not in danger. They are safe inside the ISS, with plenty of food, clean water and air. They are now expected to stay on the ISS for eight months and return next year on a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore (centre) pose with astronauts Michael Barratt (left) and Tracy Dyson aboard the ISS. Nasa
This planned Dragon flight, called Crew-9, will launch in September and return in February 2025. It may now carry only two rather than the intended four astronauts up to the ISS, to make room for the two unexpected crew members on the way back.
The fact that such an option is available is a triumph for commercial spaceflight. SpaceX has become a reliable choice for Nasa to ferry its astronauts to the ISS. In addition to the eight crew rotation flights to date, SpaceX has launched more than 20 uncrewed supply missions to the ISS since 2012.
Read more: Astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station after yet more problems with Boeing's beleaguered Starliner
Following the loss of 14 astronauts in two Space Shuttle disasters – Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003 – Nasa can ill afford more fatal accidents against the backdrop of a perilous financial landscape. This is why Nasa administrator Bill Nelson decided that Starliner would not carry the astronauts back to Earth.
Starliner’s first crewed flight to the ISS launched on June 5 2024, having previously made two uncrewed test flights to it. This latest mission was plagued by helium leaks – discovered both before launch and during flight – and malfunctioning thrusters, the engines used for manoeuvring Starliner in space. Helium is used to push propellant into Starliner’s thrusters, so these malfunctions could have jeopardised manoeuvres to approach and dock with the ISS.
Critical functions
The thrusters’ correct function is also critical to ensuring Starliner’s crew module, the part of the spacecraft in which astronauts travel, enters Earth’s atmosphere at a safe angle. Re-enter too steeply and the spacecraft could disintegrate at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. Enter at too shallow an angle and it could skim off the atmosphere into space again.
For most of the mission, the crew module is attached to a service module which supplies the power and houses the thrusters. Issues with the thrusters in Starliner’s service module had already emerged during its uncrewed test flight in 2022, which nevertheless successfully docked to the ISS.
This followed a first test flight in 2019 which failed due to a combination of an onboard clock error and confused communication. In both cases, the crew module made it down to Earth in one piece.
With astronauts aboard, however, Nasa officials were taking no chances. The uncrewed return of Starliner, scheduled for early September, will allow engineers on Earth to monitor the behaviour of the thrusters once more. They will also look out for potential issues related to the helium leaks. These are quite common in rockets, since helium atoms are very small and do not stick well to other atoms – meaning they can wriggle through tiny pores rather easily.
Unfortunately, the service module separates from the crew module during the return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere. So, it will not be possible to inspect the thrusters on the ground.
Competitive field
Having been awarded US$4.2 billion (£3.2 billion) by Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program in 2014, Boeing has taken a decade to accomplish its first – ill-fated – crewed mission to the ISS, using a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. SpaceX – on a US$2.6 billion (£2 billion) contract from the same Nasa program – managed this feat faster, more cheaply (for Nasa at least), and more comprehensively.
SpaceX has also managed to routinely return the first stage boosters from its Falcon 9 rocket from space to the ground, landing them using engines in an upright position on a barge in the ocean.
The Falcon 9 consists of two powered sections: the first-stage booster carries the second stage of the rocket to a predetermined altitude and speed. Returning the first stage allows it to be re-used, bringing down launch costs. Before SpaceX incorporated the technology for re-use, rocket stages were generally discarded.
The company is also developing Starship, which consists of a huge space vehicle intended to carry humans or cargo on missions to the Moon or Mars, as well as the most powerful rocket ever built.
With other private companies such as Sierra Space and Blue Origin (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s space company) also making big steps in the human spaceflight business, Boeing is facing strong competition. The company has also had to deal with heavy criticism following two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max aircraft and a door blow-out during a Boeing 737 Max 9 flight.
However, SpaceX received unwelcome news on August 28 when a returning first-stage Falcon booster fell over and exploded. The Federal Aviation Administration has now grounded all of its Falcon 9 rockets – one of which is meant to carry Crew-9 to the ISS in September.
Above all, Nasa’s decision to prioritise the safety of Williams and Wilmore, and to work with a commercial partner in finding a solution, is another example of giving the private space industry the confidence and trust required for commercial crewed spaceflight to keep expanding.
It sends a message to all that trying something new does not necessarily mean being reckless. In this sense, it is a triumph of wisdom and caution.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jacco van Loon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Boeing Might Not Get Starliner Working Before the Space Station Is Destroyed
Victor Tangermann
Thu, August 29, 2024
Clock Ticking
Over the weekend, NASA officially decided that it was too risky to return its two stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on board Boeing's plagued Starliner.
The decision came as a massive blow to Boeing. After many years of development, the company still doesn't have a successful crewed test flight under its belt.
And whether the much-maligned capsule will ever be able to deliver and safely return a crew to and from the International Space Station remains an open question.
That's because NASA is already planning to decommission the orbital outpost in 2030 with SpaceX's help, giving Boeing roughly five years to get its act together — and it's already been around five years since the company's failed uncrewed test flight.
"Boeing is going to need to grapple with the consequences of the failure of this mission to achieve its test objectives," space industry veteran Todd Harrison told NPR.
Uphill Battle
Instead of running out of time, Boeing may dump its plagued spacecraft long before the ISS is taken out of orbit.
Harrison told NPR that he thinks it's "fairly likely" that Boeing may choose to "step back" from Starliner "within a few weeks or months."
"This program kind of sticks out as something that doesn't fit with the rest of their business," he added.
Boeing has already lost a staggering $1.6 billion on the development of Starliner. That's on top of getting more than $4 billion worth of funding through NASA's Commercial Crew Program in 2014.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has done far more with far less funding from the space agency, having completed just shy of a dozen crewed missions to the ISS.
One way to look at the situation is that NASA would have been out of luck if it weren't for the fact that it signed up both SpaceX and Boeing to develop spacecraft.
"If they had only selected one provider, it would have been Boeing, because SpaceX was the risky prospect at the time," space industry consultant Laura Forczyk told New Scientist. "So in a way, this is a triumph of the Commercial Crew Program."
Boeing's Starliner has been docked at the station since early June, and NASA has yet to announce a date for its uncrewed return — a journey that comes with its own risks.
It's also unclear when or if Starliner will fly again. As of right now, the company is seemingly keeping all of its options open.
"Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft," a Boeing spokesperson told Futurism when asked if Starliner might get canceled. "We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
More on Starliner: Starliner Is Such a Disaster That Boeing May Cancel the Entire Project
Reuters
Updated Thu, August 29, 2024
Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station, in Cape Canavera
(Reuters) -NASA will proceed with the undocking of the uncrewed Boeing Starliner capsule not before Sept. 6, the space agency said on Thursday after concluding a review.
Last week, the space agency said its two astronauts who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Starliner in June will return to Earth in a SpaceX vehicle early next year.
Starliner's propulsion system issues were deemed too risky for crewed return after the capsule experienced a series of glitches within the first 24 hours of its flight to the ISS.
The journey back to Earth for the Starliner is expected to take approximately six hours from undocking to landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, NASA said in a blog post.
Ground teams will remotely guide the spacecraft through necessary manoeuvres for a safe undocking, re-entry and parachute-assisted landing in southwestern United States.
Starliner has previously completed a successful uncrewed entry and landing during two orbital flight tests, the agency said.
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
MARCIA DUNN
Thu, August 29, 2024
In this photo released by Roscosmos State Corporation, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio sits in a chair shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-23 space capsule about 150 km (90 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Sept. 27, 2023. (Ivan Timoshenko/Roscosmos Space Corporation via AP, File)
NASA’s record-holding astronaut is urging his two stuck-in-space colleagues to stay positive and “keep up the good work.”
Frank Rubio knows firsthand about unexpectedly long spaceflights. His own visit to the International Space Station lasted just over a year, twice as long as planned.
So for the past two weeks, he's been helping out with his friends' extended stay. He said he spoke with Suni Williams on Thursday and expressed pride in how she and Butch Wilmore have coped with their situation.
Williams and Wilmore should have returned to Earth on Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule back in June, a week after blasting off on its first test flight with a crew. After extensive tests and analysis of thruster problems and helium leaks, NASA decided last weekend it would be safer for SpaceX to fly them home, but that won’t happen until February, more than eight months after they blasted off.
“They’re doing great work, really maintaining a positive attitude up there, setting a great example and knocking out a whole lot of extra work on the space station,” Rubio told The Associated Press from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
While remaining in space until next year is not “the optimal outcome,” Rubio said, "they've done a fantastic job of dealing with adversity.” Their families, like his own, also have had to make sacrifices because of the switch in plans.
“But that’s part of our job is just to adapt and overcome and make the best of the situation," he said, "and they’ve done just that, so super proud of them.”
Williams and Wilmore haven't spoken publicly about the Starliner dilemma since their lone orbital news conference last month, well before the decision to bump them to SpaceX and bring Boeing's capsule back empty in early September.
Rubio's own mission was extended after his Russian Soyuz capsule was hit by space junk and leaked all its coolant. A new Soyuz had to be rushed up for him and his two Russian crewmates, and they rode it back to Earth last September. Rubio holds the U.S. record for the longest single spaceflight with his 371-day mission.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Victor Tangermann
Thu, August 29, 2024
Clock Ticking
Over the weekend, NASA officially decided that it was too risky to return its two stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on board Boeing's plagued Starliner.
The decision came as a massive blow to Boeing. After many years of development, the company still doesn't have a successful crewed test flight under its belt.
And whether the much-maligned capsule will ever be able to deliver and safely return a crew to and from the International Space Station remains an open question.
That's because NASA is already planning to decommission the orbital outpost in 2030 with SpaceX's help, giving Boeing roughly five years to get its act together — and it's already been around five years since the company's failed uncrewed test flight.
"Boeing is going to need to grapple with the consequences of the failure of this mission to achieve its test objectives," space industry veteran Todd Harrison told NPR.
Uphill Battle
Instead of running out of time, Boeing may dump its plagued spacecraft long before the ISS is taken out of orbit.
Harrison told NPR that he thinks it's "fairly likely" that Boeing may choose to "step back" from Starliner "within a few weeks or months."
"This program kind of sticks out as something that doesn't fit with the rest of their business," he added.
Boeing has already lost a staggering $1.6 billion on the development of Starliner. That's on top of getting more than $4 billion worth of funding through NASA's Commercial Crew Program in 2014.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has done far more with far less funding from the space agency, having completed just shy of a dozen crewed missions to the ISS.
One way to look at the situation is that NASA would have been out of luck if it weren't for the fact that it signed up both SpaceX and Boeing to develop spacecraft.
"If they had only selected one provider, it would have been Boeing, because SpaceX was the risky prospect at the time," space industry consultant Laura Forczyk told New Scientist. "So in a way, this is a triumph of the Commercial Crew Program."
Boeing's Starliner has been docked at the station since early June, and NASA has yet to announce a date for its uncrewed return — a journey that comes with its own risks.
It's also unclear when or if Starliner will fly again. As of right now, the company is seemingly keeping all of its options open.
"Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft," a Boeing spokesperson told Futurism when asked if Starliner might get canceled. "We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
More on Starliner: Starliner Is Such a Disaster That Boeing May Cancel the Entire Project
Boeing's uncrewed Starliner could return by late next week, NASA says
Reuters
Updated Thu, August 29, 2024
Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station, in Cape Canavera
(Reuters) -NASA will proceed with the undocking of the uncrewed Boeing Starliner capsule not before Sept. 6, the space agency said on Thursday after concluding a review.
Last week, the space agency said its two astronauts who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Starliner in June will return to Earth in a SpaceX vehicle early next year.
Starliner's propulsion system issues were deemed too risky for crewed return after the capsule experienced a series of glitches within the first 24 hours of its flight to the ISS.
The journey back to Earth for the Starliner is expected to take approximately six hours from undocking to landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, NASA said in a blog post.
Ground teams will remotely guide the spacecraft through necessary manoeuvres for a safe undocking, re-entry and parachute-assisted landing in southwestern United States.
Starliner has previously completed a successful uncrewed entry and landing during two orbital flight tests, the agency said.
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
NASA record holder can relate to astronauts stuck in space. He was, too
MARCIA DUNN
Thu, August 29, 2024
In this photo released by Roscosmos State Corporation, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio sits in a chair shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-23 space capsule about 150 km (90 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Sept. 27, 2023. (Ivan Timoshenko/Roscosmos Space Corporation via AP, File)
NASA’s record-holding astronaut is urging his two stuck-in-space colleagues to stay positive and “keep up the good work.”
Frank Rubio knows firsthand about unexpectedly long spaceflights. His own visit to the International Space Station lasted just over a year, twice as long as planned.
So for the past two weeks, he's been helping out with his friends' extended stay. He said he spoke with Suni Williams on Thursday and expressed pride in how she and Butch Wilmore have coped with their situation.
Williams and Wilmore should have returned to Earth on Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule back in June, a week after blasting off on its first test flight with a crew. After extensive tests and analysis of thruster problems and helium leaks, NASA decided last weekend it would be safer for SpaceX to fly them home, but that won’t happen until February, more than eight months after they blasted off.
“They’re doing great work, really maintaining a positive attitude up there, setting a great example and knocking out a whole lot of extra work on the space station,” Rubio told The Associated Press from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
While remaining in space until next year is not “the optimal outcome,” Rubio said, "they've done a fantastic job of dealing with adversity.” Their families, like his own, also have had to make sacrifices because of the switch in plans.
“But that’s part of our job is just to adapt and overcome and make the best of the situation," he said, "and they’ve done just that, so super proud of them.”
Williams and Wilmore haven't spoken publicly about the Starliner dilemma since their lone orbital news conference last month, well before the decision to bump them to SpaceX and bring Boeing's capsule back empty in early September.
Rubio's own mission was extended after his Russian Soyuz capsule was hit by space junk and leaked all its coolant. A new Soyuz had to be rushed up for him and his two Russian crewmates, and they rode it back to Earth last September. Rubio holds the U.S. record for the longest single spaceflight with his 371-day mission.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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