Sunita Williams Stuck in Space: The return space flight of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station is still in limbo. Sunita Williams’ return to Earth was originally scheduled in June this year. But the space program was pushed back for months due to repeated glitches in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
There is also a possibility that Williams and Wilmore may have to rely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return. Due to several technical glitches in the Starliner, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s return flight on the Boeing spacecraft could have had serious consequences for the astronauts, including their being instantly vaporized upon re-entry, believes Rudy Ridolfi, former commander of US military space systems.
What could go wrong if Sunita Williams relies on Starliner for the return flight?
Space industry expert Rudy Ridolfi said there is a possibility that astronauts could be stranded in space for a long time with just 96 hours of oxygen supply, reports CNBC-TV18. Ridolfi mentioned three possible situations that could turn into reality if Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are brought back to Earth on the Boeing Starliner.
run out of oxygen
The first scenario reflects the situation of astronauts if they travel to Earth in a Boeing Starliner. In the first scenario, the spacecraft could be stranded in space with malfunctioning thrusters and only 96 hours of oxygen supply, CNBC TV18 reported quoting Ridolfi.
Stuck in space forever
Another scenario for the two NASA astronauts is that the spacecraft could fail to re-enter the atmosphere due to faulty alignment. In this case, the spacecraft could remain in space indefinitely because it would not be able to descend properly.
Evaporation on re-entry
The third and final possible scenario for Sunita Williams’ return to Starliner would be vaporization on entry. Ridolfi expressed concern that the Starliner spacecraft could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at too high an angle, reports CNBC-TV18. The resulting excessive friction and heat could cause the Starliner’s heat shield to fail. The unfortunate incident could burn the spacecraft’s surface and kill the astronauts.
