NASA Astronauts Remain Stuck In Space After Another Delay

Those astronauts have had a tough time of it. Ever since their original method of return failed, they have been struck with issue after issue. Now, due to further complications, the NASA ISS astronauts are stuck in space for longer, following yet another delay.

The June 5th mission to the International Space Station was only supposed to be a week-long trip for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. However, when the Boeing space capsule that sent the astronauts up there started to malfunction, the first delay occurred.

The capsule had been plagued with issues, including faulty thrusters and leaky seals. Due to these problems, NASA deemed the shuttle unsafe to return Williams and Wilmore to Earth. Boeing fought to bring them back on it, but they hardly have a clean record for keeping people alive.

So, Space X stepped up to the plate, offering one of their shuttles as a replacement. Of course, NASA gladly accepted, hoping to avoid any further delay in returning the astronauts. However, the shuttle still wasn’t going to be ready until February.

Now, we have news that the shuttle designed to return the stuck astronauts to us early next year won’t be ready until March or April. This means that both Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will have been in space for almost a year. This is almost double the usual six-month expedition, and a whole lot longer than the original week.

Delay For The Astronauts Causing Unprecedented Strain

Almost a year in space is a massive amount of time, even for astronauts planning to be there for that length. Both Williams and Wilmore never expected to be aboard the aging International Space Station for so long. Their training will, of course, have allowed for such a situation, but the reality is different.

The mental strain of being stranded, miles away from terra firma, must be tough. However, in their regular communications with Mother Earth, they seem in good spirits. I don’t know how well I would cope with delay after delay, trapped in a small space with other astronauts.

Since their departure from Earth, there have been concerns raised about the physical health of the astronauts. Considerable weight loss has been seen on both astronauts. However, they have reassured people that it is simply due to the weightlessness they experience. We will only know the full extent when they return to Earth, eventually.