NASA Faces Crowding Crisis as Astronauts Remain Stranded on ISS

NASA is facing a bit of a predicament up in space, as the International Space Station (ISS) is getting quite crowded. Currently, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are aboard the ISS, stuck in Boeing‘s Starliner spacecraft due to some technical issues.

The space agency has a new mission called Crew-9 set to launch on August 18. This mission has four astronauts scheduled to join the ISS, but with the station’s capacity limited to just three to six crew members, this situation could lead to delays or even cancellations of the upcoming mission.

Officials at NASA mentioned that August is expected to be busy with increased traffic at the ISS. However, they are trying to keep things positive, viewing this congestion as a sign of progress in space exploration. Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s space operations mission directorate, mentioned, “We have never had so many vehicles and so many options. It complicates our lives, but in a really good way.”

Williams and Wilmore have been in space since June 6, but there’s currently no set return date for them. NASA is prioritizing getting the Starliner back on track to free one of the two needed docking ports at the ISS for Crew-9. Dana Weigel, the program manager for the ISS, stated, “I’ve got to take off a vehicle. And so our plan is undock Starliner first to free up a port.”

After plans for a June 13 return were scrapped due to ongoing technical challenges, officials are still working on resolving those issues. Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, noted that they haven’t announced a return date just yet and are assessing backup options to ensure safety.

Currently, the next crewed mission up to the ISS will be using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, scheduled for launch by August 18. But before that can happen, NASA and Boeing must resolve the technical issues with the Starliner to make space for the new arrivals.

Despite the tension that may come from being stuck in space, Williams and Wilmore remain safe while crucial evaluations of the spacecraft take place. NASA is conducting detailed reviews of recent tests, which have shown some promising results in fixing the spacecraft’s propulsion system issues.

The clock is ticking as testing and evaluations continue, with possible undocking dates throughout August. NASA’s team is eager to finalize the schedule for Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth. The pressure is on to ensure they depart in time to avoid any backup at the ISS with the Crew-9 mission looming ahead.