Stranded Astronauts
Two astronauts are stuck in space. It’s been over 170 days since Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have arrived home fromat the International Space Station (ISS) for what was planned as a 10 day trip in June of 2024. As a result of a few technical problems, their stay has been prolonged and they are said to be returning back to Earth in February of 2025.
During Starliner’s test flight, the spacecraft that carried Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams back to Earth experienced a propulsion system malfunction. There was found to be a helium leak in the propulsion system, which “controls the spacecraft’s movements in space, using puffs of volatile gas, or propellant, to make minute changes in orientation” (Discover Magazine). In addition, five of its twenty-eight thrusters in the reaction control system used for maneuvering gave out and NASA engineers were not certain it would bring the two astronauts back safely. The mission was a test flight that carried people to orbit in the Boeing spacecraft for the first time. It was designed to shake out problems before Starliner began frequent missions next year to carry NASA astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft returns to Earth without its two astronauts as a precaution. As NASA grapples with technical setbacks from Starliner, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon offers a lifeline for the stranded astronauts—highlighting the company’s growing role in human space exploration. Since Starliner’s propulsion system posed too great a risk, Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams will be returning to Earth on Crew Dragon, built by Boeing’s rival SpaceX.
What is SpaceX Doing?
SpaceX has launched its mission to bring back the two astronauts since June. NASA contracted Starliner to Boeing and Crew Dragon to SpaceX. NASA’s decision to partner with both Boeing and SpaceX for its Commercial Crew Program drives its desire to foster competition, ensure redundancy, and stimulate new innovations. Both companies were tasked with designing spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. However, the two spacecraft have revealed different approaches, advances, and performance capabilities. So what is SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, doing? In 2020, “SpaceX returned America’s ability to fly NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station on American vehicles for the first time since 2011” (SpaceX). The Dragon capsule, which has two empty seats for Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams, launched from Florida in September. It’s capable of carrying up to 7 passengers “to and from Earth orbit, and beyond” (SpaceX).
Just this month, SpaceX is closer to increasing its annual launches by five times from its Texas home base after the Federal Aviation Administration advanced a revised environmental assessment. NASA is working with SpaceX to develop the company’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and SpaceX’s new rocket in development Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (Starship), which represents “a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, [and] Mars”. Starship is capable of “carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable” (SpaceX).
Comparing Boeing and SpaceX Capabilities
ISS missions strive “to enable long-term exploration of space and provide benefits to people on Earth” (PBS). SpaceX and Boeing, both contracted by NASA to transport astronauts to the ISS, have taken vastly different paths in achieving this goal. While Boeing’s Starliner faced major setbacks in June of 2024, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has already demonstrated stronger reliability with successful ISS missions since 2020. Demo-2 in 2020 was launched as its first crewed mission, ultimately establishing SpaceX’s credibility and consistently delivering astronauts with Crew Dragon ever since, including its mission to bring Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams back. Contrastingly, Boeing’s Starliner has faced repeated delays and technical setbacks, including a failed uncrewed test flight in 2019. Overall, NASA’s decision to partner with both Boeing and SpaceX in its Commercial Crew Programs fosters competition and stimulates innovation.
