Sent into space aboard the Starliner spacecraft, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will not be able to reach dry land until February 2025. They are neither the first nor the last to extend their stay in space. Being stuck in space is the science fiction scenario that no one wants to experience…
However, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, two NASA astronauts, are experiencing it right now aboard
their Starliner spacecraft. But rest assured: despite appearances, this is neither a first nor a
desperate situation, explains National Geographic. In fact, the history of space exploration contains a veritable list of astronauts who have seen their stay in orbit extend beyond the original plans
Helium leaks have been discovered in the Starliner propulsion system. Rather than rushing the astronauts back to Earth with a defective spacecraft, NASA has decided to extend their mission. At first glance, this situation seems like a nightmare, but for the astronauts, it’s almost routine. “It’s the best Christmas present they could both have,” jokes Chris Hadfield, a former test pilot for the US Air Force and the US Navy. “I’d trade places with them in a heartbeat.” It must be said that in fact, being stuck in orbit is more common than one thinks..
Nothing new under the stars The most famous case is that of Sergei Krikaliov, a Russian cosmonaut, who
saw his mission extended spectacularly in 1991. He set off for a 150-day stay aboard the Mir station, but remained there for 311 days due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, thus holding the record for time spent
uninterruptedly in space. In 2022, Francisco Rubio broke this record, spending more than a year aboard his ship. Although he had planned to return in March 2023 after six months on the ISS, he ultimately had to stay 371 days because of a micrometeorite (a small particle of matter that enters the atmosphere) that damaged his Soyuz spacecraft.
“Houston, we have a problem.” This famous call, now known to all, is emblematic of the most dramatic case to date: the Apollo 13 mission. In 1970, an oxygen tank in the command module exploded just three days after the start of the mission, compromising it. The three astronauts finally landed safely on April 17, 1970, about fourteen hours later than planned after using their lunar landing module. From Unknown to Opportunity So how do astronauts deal with these extensions? According to astronaut Chris Hadfield, “they train for decades to be able to spend long periods in space, which turned their short-duration flight into a long-duration flight.” So Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore’s story is far from unique. Space has always had a knack for defying expectations and extending missions far beyond what was planned. So the next time you hear about astronauts “stuck” in orbit, remember: for them, it’s just another day in the best office in the world.
