The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has not yet announced the official return date of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from space. The spacecraft, which docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, was scheduled to return on June 14. However, its return flight has been delayed repeatedly due to several technical glitches.
Amid the congestion that is expected to occur on the ISS due to recent delays, NASA is planning to launch another spacecraft, the SpaceX Crew9 mission. Therefore, it has become important to schedule the return of Starliner as soon as possible to avoid congestion.
In a recent post on X, NASA Commercial Crew gave an update on their latest mission to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA and SpaceX are planning to launch the SpaceX Crew9 mission to the ISS.
“NASA and SpaceX plan to launch the agency’s SpaceX #Crew9 mission to the @Space_Station no earlier than Aug. 18. The international crew will lift off from @NASAKennedy’s Launch Complex 39A aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft,” the NASA Commercial Crew post read.
NASA and SpaceX plan to launch the agency’s SpaceX #crew9 Mission @space Station Not before 18th August.
The international team will fly from here @NASAKennedyHe arrived at the US Launch Complex 39A atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
More: pic.twitter.com/MLjJiEcpbS
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) July 26, 2024
Despite the continued delays in the two astronauts’ space flight, officials have stressed that Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts are not stranded in space.
Overcrowding on the I.S.S.
NASA is grappling with impending congestion on the ISS due to multiple delays in some of its spacecraft docked at the ISS, ANI reported citing a New York Times report.
NASA officials indicated on July 26 that ISS traffic is expected to increase next month. This comes after a period of operational challenges that temporarily halted the agency’s ability to carry astronauts. However, NASA officials have viewed the situation positively, and described the expected rush as a sign of progress. Explaining the importance of undocking the Starliner soon, Dana Weigel, ISS program manager at NASA, said, “I have to unload a vehicle. And so we’re planning to undock Starliner first to clear a port.”
