NASA astronauts stranded in Space: Expert warns of catastrophic reentry scenarios
- In Reports
- 07:24 PM, Aug 21, 2024
- Myind Staff
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space for over two months due to a malfunction in the Boeing Starliner capsule's thrusters. The astronauts docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 as part of Boeing Starliner's inaugural test mission, which was originally planned for just an eight-day stay. However, an unexpected fault in the capsule has forced it to remain docked indefinitely, raising serious concerns about their safe return to Earth.
The U.S. space agency is currently debating whether to proceed with Boeing Starliner's return mission or to launch a SpaceX rescue mission. Rudy Ridolfi, a former U.S. military Space System Commander, has outlined three potentially catastrophic scenarios if Williams and Wilmore attempt to return in the faulty spacecraft.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ridolfi emphasised the importance of the Starliner’s service module correctly aligning the capsule for reentry. “So long as the capsule is lined up correctly for reentry, everything’s fine,” Ridolfi explained. However, he warned that if the capsule is not properly aligned, “they either burn up or bounce back into space.” Ridolfi added that “if the Starliner Service Module places the capsule in too steep of a reentry window, then the capsule ablative heat shield would probably fail.”
Ridolfi detailed three scenarios that could occur if the thrusters fail during reentry. The first scenario involves the Starliner being stuck in space with only a 96-hour oxygen supply, which could happen if the capsule attempts to reenter at the wrong angle and bounces off the atmosphere.
The second scenario could see the spacecraft completely bouncing off Earth’s atmosphere if the service module fails to line up the capsule correctly for reentry.
The most alarming scenario, according to Ridolfi, involves the astronauts being vaporized if the reentry angle is too steep, leading to increased friction and the possibility of the Starliner burning up upon reentry.
NASA has not yet made a decision on how to proceed, but these risks have significantly escalated concerns about the astronauts’ safe return to Earth.
Image source: ToI
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