Stuck in space; American astronauts don´t know when they´ll touch Earth again

An eight-day trip to space turned into almost two months for two American astronauts set on a test mission to the International Space Station.

Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are still hovering above Earth and could be stuck in space until 2025. Wilmore, 61, and Williams 58 launched into space on June 5, 2024, on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft; the first of its type to have people onboard.

In a test mission to space, the two astronauts were faced with unprecedented complications, including leaks in the spacecraft´s propulsion system and some of its thrusters shutting down. The pair managed to make it to the station but the Starliner was deemed unsafe to use for their return to Earth.

Stuck in space; options to return

The manager of NASA´s Commercial Crew Programme Steve Stich declared; “Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner.” However, he admitted; “we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open.” NASA´s director of space operations Ken Bowersox also seemed positive about the chances of using Starliner which he said “have increased a little bit based on where things have gone over the last week or two.”

Another option that is being considered is attaching Wilmore and Williams to a mission scheduled to launch in September and return them to Earth by February 2025. This mission to the space station would be made by a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft, initially designed for four people. If deciding to take the Crew Dragon, the astronauts would spend more than eight months, rather than the intended eight days in space.

The decision will be heavily influenced by Boeing´ continuous competition with SpaceX, as using the Crew Dragon instead of Starliner would prove SpaceX´s superiority in the spacecraft. NASA officials said they will announce their decision within a week or more from August 10.

What it´s like being stuck in space

Williams, a retired Navy helicopter pilot, and Wilmore, a former fighter jet pilot, are not strangers to space; for Williams, it is the fourth time, and for Wilmore, the third time floating above the Earth. The pair have been able to communicate with Earth effectively and recently attended a short interview.

“We´ve been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew,” said Williams. “It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around.” She added; “I´m not complaining that we´re here for a couple extra weeks.” In July, the pair said they were “absolutely confident” in their return to Earth and that launching Starliner was “truly impressive.”

In August, NASA employed a SpaceX rocket to deliver supplies including food and clothing to the ISS; the pair can take deliveries of necessities including food, clothes, and hygiene products. Although they don´t lack the essentials and can even use social media, they have to abstain entirely from alcohol and bread and adapt to the comforts of space.

The astronauts have to exercise for at least two hours a day to prevent the loss of muscle and bone mass, for which they have special equipment, and living in a weightless environment can only shower with liquid soap and rinseless shampoo.

Two months may seem like a long time away from the Earth, but in Russia, the astronaut Oleg Kononenko has beat the world record for the longest stay in space, having spent more than 1,000 days above the Earth; he will soon be celebrating his 60th birthday on a spaceship.

To date, there is no verified limit under which an astronaut can safely remain in space but as technology progresses, so do human records in space.