There Is Shocking News For Two Astronauts Trapped On The ISS, Can Only Return To Earth February 2025

The appearance of Boeing's Starliner capsule in space (photo: x @nasa)

JAKARTA - NASA astronauts trapped on the International Space Station (ISS) due to problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule received shocking news about their return to Earth mission.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck on the ISS for more than two months, may only be able to return to Earth in February 2025. NASA revealed a contingency plan involving the launch of a crew of two on a Crew-9 mission from SpaceX in September, but even with this option, the crew's return to Earth will take a few months.

This announcement is an embarrassing blow to Boeing, who is facing a series of problems on his commercial jet. Although NASA has claimed for several weeks that the Starliner capsule is safe to bring Williams and Wilmore back, the capsule has leaks and problems with the thruster.

Problems with Starliners

Since its launch on June 5, Starliner has experienced various technical problems including thruster failure and helium leakage. The mission, which was supposed to be eight days long, has now been stuck in space for 60 days. This problem caused several delays and forced NASA to consider rescue options.

NASA is considering using the SpaceX Crew Dragon as a rescue option if Starliner cannot be fixed on time. However, decisions regarding the use of Starliners or Crew Dragon have not been made, and NASA continues to provide Boeing with additional time to test and collect data.

Recent tests show that four of Starliner's jets suffered a failure due to overheating, while helium leaks affected the thruster's performance. Boeing claims that despite the problem, Starliner remains safe for missions back to Earth.

Criticism of Boeing is increasing with the many problems that arise in Starliner and its commercial aircraft. Boeing has suffered a loss of at least US$3 billion (Rp48 trillion) due to problems with its commercial jets, and contracts worth US$4.2 billion (Rp67.3 trillion) from NASA for Starliner development are increasingly in the spotlight.

Boeing is expected to resolve the issue soon, and NASA plans to make a final decision on a rescue mission in the near future.