Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were unable to get home in June 2024 due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They will have to stay on the ISS until February 2025. But this is not an extraordinary event, as the astronauts have encountered similar situations before and will likely encounter them again. The reasons for this can range from geopolitical to natural hazards. So they prepare for such scenarios in advance.
Astronauts often get stuck in space for various reasons. Photo source: nationalgeographic.com
Contents
- 1 NASA astronauts are not “stuck” in space
- 2 How cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev got “stuck” in space
- 3 NASA space shuttle crash
- 4 How astronauts got “stuck” in space due to a micrometeorite
NASA astronauts not “stuck” in space
We previously reported that Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore cannot return to Earth due to problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that have arisen on Earth. Despite the helium leak, it was decided not to cancel the flight. As they approached the ISS, the situation on the ship worsened – some engines failed, and the leak became even more intense. Therefore, the mission, which was supposed to last only 8 days, will drag on for more than six months.
However, NASA claims that the astronauts are not technically “stuck” in space. The fact is that they assumed that there might be problems with the Starliner spacecraft and they would have to stay on the ISS. Therefore, the mission extension can be called conditionally planned. But, be that as it may, some scientists believe that the current situation is very stressful for the astronauts, so time will slow down for them. But other astronauts believe that Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, on the contrary, were lucky.
Some astronauts say Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are lucky to have another six months in space. Photo credit: holod.media
As Chris Hadfield says, “astronauts consider themselves to be ‘stuck’ on Earth, so this is a huge gift.” According to him, being in space is the purpose of their profession. So, it is quite possible that they are not upset at all about what happened.
How cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev became ‘stuck’ in space
The history of space missions that lasted much longer than expected is quite rich. Moreover, such situations arose not only with American astronauts, but also with Soviet and Russian ones. The most famous is the story of cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, who was supposed to spend about 150 days on the Mir station, but was delayed for 311 days.
Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev once got “stuck” in space due to the collapse of the USSR. Photo source: vm.ru
The reason for the delay was not technical problems, but political events on Earth. The fact is that Sergei Krikalev launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on May 18, 1991. While he was in space, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, which led to questions about who would pay for his return. While they were being resolved, the cosmonaut was forced to remain in space.
NASA Space Shuttle Crash
In February 2003, the shuttle Columbia crashed during re-entry, killing all seven astronauts on board. Following this event, NASA grounded all space shuttle flights until the cause was determined and flight safety was ensured. This grounding lasted for over two years.
Astronauts 'stranded' in space in 2003 after the Columbia shuttle crash. Photo credit: nationalgeographic.com
In connection with this, the flight of the Atlantis shuttle, on which one Russian and two American astronauts were supposed to return to Earth, was canceled. As a result, they also had to stay in space. However, the mission did not last long – only three years. Ultimately, three astronauts returned to Earth in May 2003 on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
How astronauts “got stuck” in space because of a micrometeorite
Docking spacecraft with the ISS is quite a difficult task. Sometimes, at this point, technical malfunctions occur, as happened with the Soyuz spacecraft in September 2022. However, this time it was not the technology that failed. The spacecraft collided with a micrometeorite – a small stone flying at an enormous speed.
There was one American astronaut and two Russians on the ship at the time. They were supposed to return on the same spacecraft in March 2023, but had to return on another Soyuz in September of that year.
On board the ISS, astronauts can admire the view of the Earth through the portholes. Photo source: expedicia.org
As a result of this delay, American astronaut Frank Rubio set a record for the longest continuous stay in space among NASA astronauts – he was on board the ISS for 371 days. However, the absolute record belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days in space on board the Mir station from 1994 to 1995.
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How do such delays affect the health of astronauts? According to scientists, there are usually no problems. At the same time, it is known that a long stay in space has a negative effect on the body, and even leads to the destruction of the blood. However, astronauts are not in space long enough for this to negatively affect their health. The only problem that may arise in older astronauts is the consequences of muscle and bone loss in microgravity conditions.