New Delhi: SpaceX recently ran into a stumbling block on its quest to bring home two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS). The launch had to be rescheduled following an issue with the launch pad hydraulic system. This is a critical system because it assists in releasing the rocket from its support structure at the moment of liftoff. The problem arose less than four hours ahead of the launch of the Falcon rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Why are Astronauts still stuck in space?
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally only going to be on the ISS for eight days, but they’ve been there for nine months! They were delayed returning because Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which had taken them to the ISS, had serious propulsion issues and had to come back to Earth with no one on board. That left Wilmore and Williams stranded in space.
The plan to bring them back
SpaceX’s objective was to transport a fresh crew of four astronauts to the ISS so that Wilmore and Williams could at long last return home. The fresh crew consists of two Americans, a Japanese astronaut, and a Russian one. The mission was even accelerated by two weeks when high-profile personalities such as Elon Musk and then President Donald Trump took interest.
Why was there a delay?
Just as the countdown was in its final moments, engineers saw a problem with the hydraulic system that assists in tilting one of the arms that support the rocket, they attempted to repair it, but with less than an hour to go, they had no other option but to cancel the launch, the astronauts were already strapped in and prepared to launch when the decision was made.
What’s next?
For the time being, Wilmore and Williams must wait a bit longer, NASA requires sufficient astronauts on the ISS to maintain normal operations, so they won’t depart until the new crew. When they do, the stranded astronauts will return home in a capsule that has been docked there since September as part of an earlier mission.
The issue has become somewhat politicized, with Trump and Musk accusing President Biden of causing the delay (without providing much evidence). Their interest even prompted NASA to advance the mission date.
Boeing’s Starliner was also meant to compete with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, but it has been in continuous engineering problems and budget troubles. Crew Dragon has been the default vehicle since 2020 to take people to and from the ISS.
