Boeing Starliner: Astronauts Stranded in Space for Months

Astronauts are stranded in space for months due to Boeing Starliner's mechanical failures, raising safety concerns and uncertainty about their return.

### Boeing Starliner's Astronauts Face Extended Space Stay Due to Mechanical Issues
* 🚀  Two astronauts, Sita Sunny Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore, are currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) after their mission was unexpectedly extended from **8 days to potentially 8 months** due to mechanical problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
* 🔧  NASA has raised concerns about the safety of the Starliner, citing **helium leaks and thruster malfunctions** that could **jeopardize the astronauts' return**.
* 🛰  The Starliner was intended to be a **reliable vehicle for transporting astronauts**, but its development has faced numerous setbacks, including a **failed unmanned test flight** in 2019 and issues with **thruster systems** in subsequent tests.
* 📉  Boeing's reputation has taken a **significant hit** this year, as the company is already grappling with other challenges, making the current situation with the stranded astronauts a **critical blow**.
* 🚁  In a recent decision, NASA deemed the Starliner **unsafe for return**, opting instead to send the astronauts back on a **SpaceX Dragon spacecraft**, scheduled for launch on **September 24th, 2025**.
* 🥗  While the astronauts have access to advanced life support systems on the ISS, including **food resupplies and oxygen recycling**, the extended stay poses **psychological challenges** that they must navigate.
* 📞  Fortunately, the astronauts can maintain communication with Earth and have other crew members aboard the ISS, which may help **alleviate feelings of isolation** during their prolonged mission.
* 📚  As the situation unfolds, it raises questions about Boeing's **future in the commercial space sector** and how the company can **restore public trust** after this incident.

this video was brought to you by brilliant. Hi, welcome to another episode of Cold Fusion. Two astronauts from Boeing Starliner are now awaiting a decision on when they can return home from space after 9 weeks on the International Space Station. NASA now says mechanical issues with the Starliner could turn their planned 8-day Mission into 8 months. For those who've been watching cold fusion, you might know that the most popular video on this channel is about the 13 disaster, which I titled Three Men Lost in Space. So, when I saw this story, I knew I had to make an episode on it. For astronauts Sita Sunny Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore, what was supposed to be an 8-day trip back in early June has turned into months. And the worst part? There was a lot of uncertainty over whether their spacecraft was safe or not. This meant that there was no specific return date for them. Imagine what they must be feeling up there. The current situation really does capture one's imagination.

why exactly are two astronauts stuck in space? What went wrong? Is there enough food and supplies for such a massive change of plans? There's also a last-minute update to the story that reflects terribly on Boeing. So buckle up as we dive into this story. You are watching Cold Fusion TV. For those who don't know, the International Space Station is a large spacecraft that orbits the Earth, roughly at an average altitude of 400 km. It's a collaborative space project between NASA, Russia's Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Its purpose is to conduct scientific research in astrobiology, astronomy, meteorology, and more. Throughout the year, many missions take place in relation to the ISS, whether it's cargo resupplying or scientific experiments. The route to the space station is often busy. The astronauts in question, Sunni and But, were part of one such mission in June 2024. However, their primary goal was a little bit different. They were going to test and evaluate the spacecraft that

they'll be making a journey in the new Starliner. They would report on its performance, mainly how safe it was and if it was able to transport astronauts to and from the space station. The plan was to stay on the International Space Station for 8 days while conducting research and performing day-to-day routine operations for the space station. But here's the punchline, as alluded to the Starliner spacecraft is made by Boeing. 2024 was already one of the worst years for the company, and now some astronaut stranded in space can be added to the pile of mishaps. So what exactly is Boeing Starliner and where did it go wrong? Almost 10 years ago, on September 24th, 2014, Boeing and SpaceX were chosen by NASA as the two companies to help develop transportation for astronauts to travel to and from the ISS and other low orbit sites. By 2017, Boeing had won a $4.2 billion contract to complete and certify its Starliner class of spacecraft, and SpaceX won a similar

contract for its Dragon spacecraft but was valued at less than $2.6 billion. The Starliner actually had some pretty competitive features; for example, it's a reusable vessel, meaning that it could potentially be used up to 10 times before requiring any refurbishment. Its capacity was seven astronauts or a mix of crew and cargo. It's also modular in essence, so it can be launched using other rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9. So, it's clear that NASA at the time valued Boeing's reliability and track record, particularly over SpaceX, who was more of a wild card than the established Boeing. Even 10 years ago, Boeing was still a reliable name in the industry, one of the best. From early contributions to space travel to helping on the actual design of the International Space Station itself and its construction to commercial space efforts, Boeing was always going to be the top choice for NASA. But that was then, and this is now. 2024 has seen Boeing's reputation absolutely dragged through the dirt, but even before, there were a few warning

signs that this mission may not be smooth sailing. The Starliner Space Capsule failed to reach the proper orbit during an unmanned test flight today, and there is concern that failure could leave the US scrambling to get its astronauts into space. In 2019, the first unmanned test flight was unsuccessful due to a software issue. A second test flight in 2022 was a bit better, but there were issues with calling and thruster systems, the latter a foreshadowing of what was to come. The current mission with Sunni and Butch is the first crude test mission to the space station, and while it successfully reached the ISS and docked successfully, NASA would have likely been sorely disappointed with what happened. [Music] Next, Starliner problems could be categorized into two categories: helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. The issues on the current mission started even before its launch. A helium leak was detected in the propulsion system due to a damaged seal, and after the spacecraft reached orbit, there were two more helium

leaks identified along with two smaller leaks post-docking. Then there's the issue with the thrusters. So, the spacecraft had 28 reaction control system thrusters. Five out of those 28 thrusters malfunctioned, and this temporarily delayed the docking process. Now, four of them have been restored by engineers, and tests performed after docking show that most of the thrusters were okay, but one of them is still not performing as expected. The helium leaks and thruster issues throw the confidence of the safe return of the crew into question. The Boeing and NASA teams now had to troubleshoot the problems from the ground and determine if the Starliner spacecraft is safe for a return journey. NASA had mentioned plans to bring in additional propulsion experts to further evaluate the issues with the Starliner. We brought in folks from the robotic space flight community at Glenn Research Center and at the Goddard Space Flight Center, at JPL. They're used to analyzing propulsion systems when spacecraft are millions of miles away, and they provided some useful

input to us end quote that was Ken Bower Sox, associate administrator for NASA's space operations Mission directorate. With that being said, the two companies seem at odds. On August 7th, Boeing stated quote, We still believe in the styliner capability and its flight rationale, but Nessa would say, Yeah, we don't really agree. Ken Bower Sox again quote, Weave NASA and Boeing had very honest discussions with each other. They have confidence in their vehicle. That's what we like to hear from them, but what the NASA team thinks is important, and when we get to a decision, we'll work through it together. In an embarrassing twist, the agency had a contingency plan to bring the two astronauts back on a SpaceX spacecraft. NASA and Boeing Engineers disagreeing, no consensus on whether or not they really understand what the problem is. So unless they really understand the problem, they may need to bring the crew back down on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Of course, SpaceX has been flying Dragon to the ISS with astronauts for over 3 years, and just a

last minute update to The Saga. I was already rendering this episode when the news broke. NASA finally made the call and deemed the Boeing spacecraft unsafe to fly. The two astronauts will indeed be hitching a ride back with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, scheduled for takeoff on September 24th, and they'll be returning in February 2025. The Dragon capsule has room for four, but two of those seats will be empty, and that's in order to accommodate the two stranded astronauts. Meanwhile, the stricken Boeing Starliner will return, turned back to Earth unmanned. It seemed that NASA had little confidence in Boeing because the decision was unanimous on the decision. Steve Stitch, the manager of NASA's commercial crew program, would state, quote, There was just too much uncertainty in the prediction of the thrusters. The decision to use SpaceX instead of Boeing brings to an end many weeks of uncertainty for the astronauts, but unfortunately, they're still going to be stuck in space for 8 months longer than planned. And now, automatically, the question floods our mind: how are they going to survive up there?

what will they eat? What will they do? Are they going to go insane? For those familiar with space travel or have watched a movie or two on the topic, you'd know that astronauts are trained specifically for scenarios like this. They go through rigorous training, a strict diet regimen, and various psychological tests to help them survive situations like this. But even then, prolonged stays in space pose significant physical and psychological challenges. Just take a second to imagine the situation you're in: space, in an enclosed craft, with the same routine. You haven't seen your friends or your family in weeks, and you don't know when you're going to return. It sucks. But in terms of oxygen supply, the ISS is equipped with advanced technology and systems that recycle water from urine, sweat, and moisture, and then generate oxygen through electrolysis. Food is resupplied via cargo missions regularly, so that should take care of the essentials. As a side note, the International Space Station has multiple docking capabilities, and according to NASA, eight spaceships can be connected to the

space station at once. It's also known that extended time in microgravity can lead to muscle atrophy, bone density loss, cardiovascular changes, and much more. To mitigate that, astronauts are told to keep their recommended intake of food and water and exercise at least 2.5 hours per day to prevent muscle and bone loss. But what about their mental health? The recommendation is to maintain a daily work routine, stick to a schedule for sleep, exercise as needed, and perhaps most importantly, keep in touch with people from Earth. You can actually make a phone call directly to people on Earth using radio signals, and they also have Wi-Fi on the space station. But keep in mind that connection is relatively slow and doesn't quite operate the same way as it does on Earth. Luckily, there are other workers present in the ISS, so the two astronauts would not be completely alone by themselves the entire time. There's really going to be a lot of finger-wagging at Boeing. The Starliner was 7 years late and $1.5 billion over budget, whether it's just bad luck or yet

another case of deep-rooted incompetence remains to be seen, but some of the executives within NASA's boardroom would be raising a few eyebrows at this event. SpaceX is routinely flying crude missions to the ISS using its Dragon spacecraft, so when you compare them and Boeing, it's not a good look. Launching objects into space is pretty complicated stuff, but have you ever wondered what the mechanics are behind such a feat? Well, fortunately, there's a fun and easy way to learn about that with brilliant.org. Brilliant is where you learn by doing, with thousands of interactive lessons in maths, science, data analytics, programming, and AI. They have a course by real engineering, which covers rocket physics, orbital mechanics, and much more. Each lesson on Brilliant allows you to play with concepts, a method proven to be six times more effective than watching lecture videos. Plus, all content on Brilliant is crafted by teachers, researchers, and professionals from MIT, Caltech, Duke, Microsoft, Google, and more. Learn at your own pace to brush up on a project for work or just for your own

self-development and curiosity to try everything brilliant has to offer for a full 30 days. Visit brilliant.org/coldfusion. You'll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. So, the idea of space travel is not just the journey, but the things that we can learn along the way and the things that can be applied across different fields of study and to humanity as a whole. The current situation presents an incredible challenge, and while I'm sure that the agency will learn a lot from this exercise for future missions, it's critical that the two astronauts return safely. So, that's where we stand with the two astronauts waiting for a ride back to Earth. So, what do you guys think about the situation in the context of growing concerns in their commercial airline business? What do you think Boeing can do to regain public trust? Some housekeeping once again. Part two of my collaboration with ABC Australia is now live on their channel. The second episode follows the current state of advanced scams and how to protect yourself. Check it out, it's pretty

Interesting. All right, that's about it from me. My name is Toogo, and thanks for watching. I'll see you again soon for the next episode. Cheers, guys. Have a good one. I don't know what [Music] cold fusion. It's new thinking.

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Boeing Starliner's Astronauts Stuck in Space

Two astronauts from Boeing's Starliner are facing an extended stay on the International Space Station, with their 8-day mission now potentially stretching to 8 months due to mechanical issues.

The uncertainty over the spacecraft's safety has left them without a specific return date.

Boeing's struggles with the Starliner program have added to the company's challenges, making 2024 a particularly difficult year for the company.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, valued at less than $2.

6 billion, was designed to be reusable and modular, aiming to support NASA's crew and cargo missions.

However, the Starliner has faced multiple setbacks, including unsuccessful test flights and ongoing issues with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.

Despite initial success in docking with the International Space Station, the spacecraft's problems have raised concerns about the safe return of its crew, leading NASA to bring in additional propulsion experts for evaluation.

NASA's Struggles with Boeing and the Astronauts' Extended Stay in Space

NASA and Boeing are at odds over the Starliner's flight capability, leading to a contingency plan for the astronauts to return on a SpaceX spacecraft.

NASA ultimately deemed the Boeing spacecraft unsafe, resulting in the astronauts' extended stay in space for eight more months.

The ISS has advanced systems for oxygen supply and regular cargo missions for food resupply, but the prolonged isolation poses significant physical and psychological challenges for the astronauts.

Life and Work on the International Space Station

Astronauts in microgravity face challenges like muscle atrophy and bone density loss, which they combat with a strict routine of food intake, exercise, and staying connected with Earth.

The ISS provides a slow Wi-Fi connection and the presence of other workers, ensuring astronauts are not completely alone.

Meanwhile, Boeing's Starliner program has faced significant delays and budget overruns, drawing criticism compared to SpaceX's more successful missions to the ISS.

The Importance of Space Travel and Learning

Space travel offers valuable lessons that can be applied across various fields and to humanity as a whole.

The current situation with two astronauts waiting to return to Earth presents a significant challenge, emphasizing the importance of their safe return.

The speaker also addresses the growing concerns in the commercial airline business and suggests that Boeing needs to take action to regain public trust.