Think you have a rough travel story? Millions of Americans do this summer. But it’s difficult to top, and I mean the word in all ways, the predicament of Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams. They’re the astronauts who rocketed into space aboard the Boeing Starliner capsule on June 5 for what was supposed to be about a week in orbit on the International Space Station.
As of today, they have been circling the earth for 52 days. Just before liftoff, NASA unloaded luggage that contained some personal items, like their changes of clothing, because the space agency needed the space for a new pump to help recycle liquid waste into drinkable water. Think about that over your morning coffee.
Sure, your space suit might look a little wrinkled in a week. But who’s going to see you — E.T.
? Besides, you’ll be back home soon. Oh, wait ..
. Boeing’s Starliner has had helium leaks and thruster failures during its inaugural trip to the ISS. The battery aboard the craft is rated to last 90 days.
Time is running out for engineers to diagnose the problem and repair the Starliner, if the astronauts are to ride it home. To be clear, Astronauts Williams and Wilmore are not stranded. They are in residence aboard the ISS, with other astronauts and cosmonauts.
If the Starliner can't return to Earth, the astronauts may have to come back in a SpaceX Dragon capsule ...
another embarrassment for Boeing. Williams and Wilmore can handle the changes in plan. Both are military .