Hello friends, today we will talk about how Sunita Williams and crew members are stuck in space.


A flying space craft sent by NASA and one is landing on the earth. In this article you will get to know about the recent developments in space craft industry An article is ready for stranded astronauts

Boeing's Risky Venture: Starliner Launches Amid Recent Aircraft Crashes.

A rocket carrying the Starliner spacecraft was launched in the United States at 10:52 AM on June 5, 2024.


On board are NASA's promising astronaut scientist, BARRY E. WILMORE, and pilot SUNITA WILLIAMS, who are embarking on a short trip to the International Space Station. The spacecraft they are traveling in is called the 'Starliner'. A unique feature of the Starliner is that it was built by a private company, 'Boeing', the same company that manufactures airplanes. Given Boeing's recent spate of aircraft crashes, the Starliner spacecraft is still considered to be under development.


This particular mission was the final leg in testing the capabilities of the Boeing Starliner, hence it was literally named the 'Boeing Crew Flight Test'. The next day, after nearly 27 hours, the spacecraft began docking with the International Space Station. This docking was successful, and shortly thereafter, both astronauts entered the space station with great joy. 


Home Away from Home: Life on the ISS for Stranded Astronauts. 


The successful docking meant that Boeing became the second private company in the world to build and operate a human orbital spacecraft. Prior to this, only SpaceX had achieved this feat. And to date, only three countries have been able to do so: Russia, the USA, and China.



But the celebration of this good news was not going to last long, this star liner mission was to be a mission of only eight days, after 8 days these astronauts were to come back to earth, but today after 3 months, these two astronauts are still stuck in space, there are many problems in the spacecraft due to which it cannot be used back. 



According to NASA, these astronauts will be stuck there for eight months.

How did this failure happen?

How much blame does the Boeing company bear?


Let's understand this entire situation in today's article.


Before we begin, it's important to clarify that while these astronauts are indeed stranded in space, they are not in any danger. The International Space Station is over 340 feet long and has ample space for both living and working. It's larger than a six-bedroom house, with sleeping quarters for six people, a kitchen, a bathroom, a gym, and even a 360-degree viewing window.


The International Space Station (ISS) has an advanced life support system that includes an oxygen generation system. This system produces oxygen through the electrolysis of water and also recycles oxygen. When astronauts exhale, they release carbon dioxide, but a significant amount of oxygen remains. The ISS is equipped to extract this remaining oxygen and recycle it for reuse.


Similarly, the ISS has a sophisticated water recycling system. Urine is processed and recycled into potable drinking water. Furthermore, this system captures moisture from the air, such as that released through exhalation or perspiration.


Regarding food, the ISS typically carries a six-month supply. However, the crew on the ISS is rotated every five to six months, ensuring a fresh supply of food and other necessities.


As such, the crew member of Expedition 71 is present in the station at this time.


The names Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Janet Epps, and Tracy Caldwell Dyson from NASA, along with Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebkin from the Russian space agency Roscosmos, are part of Expedition 71. This indicates that they are the 71st crew to rotate and arrive at the International Space Station.


Orbital Spacecraft: The Starliner is designed for space travel. 


Friends, this expedition has been ongoing for 24 years. The International Space Station (ISS) was first launched in the year 2000. Since then, the ISS has never been unoccupied. There has always been at least one person on board.


Expedition 71 is set to conclude on September 24, 2024. The current astronauts aboard the station will return to Earth, and they will be replaced by the crew members of Expedition 72.


Interestingly, both Expedition 71 and Expedition 72 crews are now working together. They are conducting new research and experiments as a combined group.


It's not like these two astronauts went to space and are sitting around bored with nothing to do. Expedition 71 is currently conducting research on space botany, specifically how flowers grow in space. They are also studying space-caused fluid shifts, algae-based life support systems, and neurodegenerative diseases and their potential therapies.


Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams are both highly experienced astronauts. Barry, at the age of 61, has already spent 178 days in space prior to this mission.


Sunita Williams, like Kalpana Chawla, is an astronaut of Indian origin, although she was born in the United States. At 58 years old, she has accumulated 322 days in space before this mission. She has previously been a part of Expeditions 14, 15, 32, and 33, and was also the commander of Expedition 33. This gives you an idea of her extensive experience.


Given their vast experience, it is unlikely that these two astronauts would face any significant difficulties. They have access to all the essential supplies, including food, water, and oxygen.

Boeing's Star Liner Spacecraft is an orbital spacecraft, its full name is Crew Space Transportation - 100 Star Liner (CST 100 Star Liner)  

Boeing is the only private company after Space X that has been able to reach an orbital spacecraft International Space Station. 


Gaganyaan Mission: India's upcoming human spaceflight mission.


What does orbital spacecraft mean here?


These are spacecraft that travel at such high velocities that they can reach Earth's orbit and revolve around it. To achieve this, they need to exceed a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour.


On the other hand, sub-orbital spacecraft can reach the edge of space but not high enough to enter Earth's orbit. So, they ascend for a short while but then fall back to Earth.


Sub-orbital spacecraft typically have a velocity of less than 7,000 kilometers per hour, making it significantly more challenging to construct an orbital spacecraft, especially one designed to carry humans.


Apart from private companies like Boeing, only three countries have successfully developed human-rated orbital spacecraft: China, Russia, and the United States.


India, with its 'Gaganyaan' mission, is aiming to join this exclusive group. The primary goal of Gaganyaan is to send humans into space aboard an Indian-made orbital spacecraft. The first orbital test flight is scheduled for December of this year.



Although no human will sit in it, for the first test, they will sit a humanoid named "Viom Mitra", basically send a mannequin to sit and test because in the beginning the human is made to sit and if there is a problem, then there can be a big problem.



Additionally, in November 2020, SpaceX successfully launched its first crewed mission, Crew-1. This marked a significant milestone for SpaceX, demonstrating its capability to send humans into space.




The thrusters that propel and maneuver the spacecraft in different directions have become the root of the problem, causing astronauts to be stranded in space.


Let's understand it deeply, 


Initial Launch Delays: 

The initial launch of the Starliner spacecraft was scheduled for May 6, 2024, but was postponed twice due to technical issues. A faulty pressure valve and a computer abort system triggered the delays.


Additional Leaks During Flight: 

Even after the successful launch on June 5, multiple helium leaks were detected in the Starliner spacecraft, both before and after docking with the International Space Station. Boeing engineers admitted that they were unable to pinpoint the root cause of these recurring leaks.


Thruster Malfunction: 

Further complicating the mission, five of the Starliner's 28 thrusters failed to function correctly, necessitating manual intervention by the spacecraft commander, Butch Wilmore. Ground engineers were able to reset and reactivate four of the five thrusters, allowing the Starliner to successfully dock with the ISS.


NASA's Explanation: 

NASA officials attributed the thruster malfunction to a data issue rather than a hardware problem.


In this very fire, where was NASA going to escape?


Boeing's Struggles Highlighted as SpaceX Prepares for Revolutionary Private Spacewalk. 


Due to all these problems, including numerous leaks and thruster malfunctions, NASA and Boeing conducted hot fire tests after June 6th to examine the thrusters. These tests revealed that the thrusters were overheating and consequently malfunctioning.


Overall, it's good news that NASA prioritized safety.


Otherwise, everyone would be reminded of the 2003 Challenger disaster where Kalpana Chawla was returning to Earth and her spacecraft exploded.


NASA has now decided to use SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore back to Earth.


To accommodate their return, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission to the ISS in February 2025 will only send two astronauts instead of four. These two astronauts will then return to Earth with Williams and Wilmore.


As a result of this decision, Williams and Wilmore will spend approximately 9 months in space.

Of the two previous uncrewed test missions of the Starliner, one failed.


The Boeing Starliner's first mission, known as the Orbital Flight Test, took place on December 20, 2019. 


It was an uncrewed mission with a mannequin named Rosie the Rocketeer on board. 

The mission's objective was to spend eight days in space, dock with the International Space Station, and then return to Earth.


However, the mission was aborted after only two days. The Starliner was unable to dock with the International Space Station. This was due to a malfunction in the Starliner's thrusters, which prevented it from achieving the correct orbit.


Today SpaceX has left Boeing so far behind that it is soon going to attempt one of the most risky missions.


The world's first private spacewalk is a 20-minute spacewalk by an astronaut in which the astronaut will stay out of the spacecraft.


But Boeing's problem is not limited to space.


Boeing's Troubled Legacy: Safety Concerns Resurface Amid Leadership Changes and Conspiracies.


Let's find out,


Boeing has faced significant criticism from airlines in recent years, largely due to the dangerous failures of its new 737 MAX commercial aircraft.

On January 5th of this year, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX, operating a routine flight from Portland to Ontario in the United States, experienced a catastrophic failure when a door completely detached from the aircraft at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

 This created a large hole, causing rapid decompression. Passengers' belongings, including phones, computers, and papers, were sucked out of the plane through the opening.


Thankfully, because passengers were wearing their seatbelts, no one was ejected from the aircraft and all survived. However, a subsequent investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the hardware was loose. The bolts securing the door required additional tightening. As a result of this incident, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines grounded their entire fleets of 737 MAX aircraft for inspection. These inspections uncovered loose parts in numerous other planes.



If you look at the incident before, 


In 2018, a faulty sensor caused Lion Air Flight 610 to crash shortly after takeoff in Indonesia, killing all passengers and crew. A similar tragedy struck Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019. Investigations revealed that Boeing had installed software that could, in certain circumstances, override pilot control. This faulty software was directly implicated in both crashes.


Following these catastrophic events, all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were grounded worldwide for nearly 20 months. Extensive safety enhancements were implemented before the planes were allowed to return to service in December 2020.


However, new issues with the 737 MAX have resurfaced in 2024.


 Numerous conspiracy theories have emerged surrounding these crashes, but the primary blame lies with Boeing. The company's CEO has announced his resignation at the end of the year. Additionally, reports have surfaced of individuals who spoke out against Boeing meeting untimely deaths, raising further concerns about the company's practices.


These incidents highlight a pattern of negligence and failure at Boeing, which has had devastating consequences.




F&Q


1. Why are Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore stranded in space?


Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are stranded in space due to malfunctions in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. After a successful launch and docking with the International Space Station (ISS), issues with the thrusters and multiple helium leaks made the spacecraft unsafe for their return.


2. What is the Boeing Starliner, and why is it important?

The Boeing Starliner (Crew Space Transportation-100) is an orbital spacecraft designed for human spaceflight to the ISS. It is significant because it marks Boeing as the second private company, after SpaceX, capable of building and operating a human-rated orbital spacecraft


3. What are the main issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft?

The Boeing Starliner has faced several technical challenges, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. Five out of its 28 thrusters failed during the mission, causing concerns about its reliability. NASA’s investigation pointed to overheating and data issues.


4. How long are the astronauts expected to stay in space, and how are they managing?

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are expected to remain on the ISS for around nine months, despite their mission initially being planned for just eight days. The ISS provides all necessary resources, such as oxygen, food, and water, ensuring the astronauts' safety. They are contributing to ongoing research while awaiting their return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.