Image Credit: CBC

Imagine you are trapped in space with no way to get back to Earth. Sounds like a sci-fi horror novel, right? Well, fiction has taken the form of reality for two astronauts, and it’s much more underwhelming than you think.

American astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore departed from Cape Canaveral on June 6 of this year to the International Space Station, on Boeing’s spacecraft Starliner, with plans to return eight days later. The crew’s mission was to test Starliner’s operations with a human crew. However, problems arose long before liftoff.

The Starliner experienced a helium leak that delayed the launch. After ignition, two additional helium leaks were discovered. Even more mayhem ensued as the control thrusters failed, and the crew had to troubleshoot them. Due to the issues with Starliner, the pair stayed onboard the ISS while the spacecraft returned to Earth. In a virtual interview on September 20, any hopes of a Starliner return were dashed when Williams and Wilmore said they would be returning using Space X’s Dragon spacecraft.
NASA made an official statement that the astronauts will return next year. Williams and Wilmore will continue their work as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew. The Expedition mission left on September 23 with two crew members, Nick Hague and Aleksander Gorbunuv, who will join Williams and Wilmore for their return in February.

Despite haphazard circumstances, the duo seems to be enjoying their time in space. In an interview, Williams said, “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space.” When they return, they will have been in space for 243 days, and no doubt they will have many tales to tell about their journey.