Astronauts Stuck In Space
Boeing's Starliner first crew flight, which carried NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS, was faced obstacles such as thruster issues and helium leaks.
Looking Back: Times When Astronauts Were Stuck In Space
Looking back at times when astronauts were stuck in space in view of the recent update on Sunita Williams' and Butch Wilmore's mission to the International Space Station being extended. This is because their Boeing Starliner met with thruster issues and helium leaks, and is now too much of a risk to return home in. This has extended their stay from that of a 2-week period to an over 8-month long stay.
Boeing Starliner | Boeing/NASA
Suni & Butch To Return In Feb 2025
On August 24, NASA announced that Suni and Butch will return to Earth in February 2025 on SpaceX Crew Dragon flight, saying that return on Starliner would be too risky. A 2-week stay has now become a 8-month stay.
Butch (L) and Sunita (R) | X/@Commercial_Crew
Mir Space Station 1991
Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev aboard the Mir space station -- launched in May, 1991 -- was set to spend about 150 days on it. But since the Soviet Union fell apart during the mission, he spent a record 311 days in orbit at the time.
Reddit
437 Days In Space
Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov set a straight record after spending 437 consecutive days aboard the Mir space station in 1994 and 1995.
Valeri looking out of Mir's window | Wikimedia Commons
Longest Stay By A Woman
In 1996, NASA's Shannon Lucid aboard the Mir spent six months in space instead of her scheduled four month-stay due to delays in shuttle launch, longest ever flight flown by a woman.
NASA
2 Americans & A Russian At ISS
A Russian cosmonaut and 2 American astronauts were stuck on the ISS in February 2003 after the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated while re-entering the atmosphere. Amid safety concerns, they spent extra 3 months in space and returned in May 2003.
Nikolai Budarin (left back), Kenneth Bowersox (right back) & Donald Pettit (front) | NASA
New Record For Women In Space
In 2017, NASA extended astronaut Peggy Whitson's 6-month stay to 9.5 months due to a reduced number of Russian cosmonauts on the ISS, setting a new record for women. Then Christina Koch set a new record after spending 11 months in space in 2019-'20.
Astronaut Christina Koch | NASA
NASA's Frank Rubio In Space
American astronaut Frank Rubio and two Russian cosmonauts docked at the ISS aboard Russian Soyuz in September 2022, set to return in the same spacecraft in March 2023. But due to some issues in Soyuz, Rubio spent 371 days in space.
Frank Rubio | NASA
Not Usually An Issue
An expert said that it is not usually an issue when astronauts have to spend more time than expected in space. However it could be dangerous for the older ones as they could suffer muscle & bone-loss in a microgravity environment, NatGeo reported.
Advertisement
Orbital night-time sky from ISS' copula | NASA
Extraordinary Sacrifices
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, "Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their homes and loves ones to further discovery." Words that fit aptly for many astronauts, including Suni And Butch.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson | NASA
Show comments