This drastic measure was necessitated by the fragmentation of a defunct Russian satellite, which resulted in a barrage of hazardous debris orbiting Earth, as reported by LiveScience.
The ISS crew, which includes Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of the Boeing Starliner, had to hunker down for approximately an hour on Friday evening. This action was in response to the disintegration of the Resurs-P1, a Russian Earth observation satellite, which sent over 100 pieces of debris hurtling around the space station. As reported by The Blaze, Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, detailed the crew's response, stating, "[w]e used Starliner for that safe haven capability." He further explained, "[The astronauts] got in the spacecraft, powered the vehicle up, closed the hatch and were ready to execute … an emergency unlocking (from the ISS) and landing."
The Starliner's launch on June 5, as reported by Fox News Digital, marked Boeing's first manned expedition to the ISS since 2014. This was made possible through a $4.2 billion public-private partnership agreement between NASA and Boeing. However, the mission has been plagued with technical issues, including helium leaks in the propulsion system and malfunctioning thrusters. This has transformed what was intended to be a brief journey to the ISS into an indefinite sojourn in space.
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Despite these challenges, Stich was quick to dispel any notions of the astronauts being marooned in space. He was quoted by Phys.org as saying that the astronauts "are not stranded in space." Currently, the Starliner is docked at the ISS as engineers scramble to rectify the issues. Boeing has assured that the helium leaks "are all stable and not a concern for a return mission," and that the five thrusters that were shut down are now "operating normally."
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Stich further emphasized, "Our plan is to continue to return them on Starliner and return them home at the right time," although no specific timeline for their return has been provided.
The ISS X account issued a statement on Wednesday evening, detailing the event: "Shortly after 9 p.m. EDT, @NASA instructed crews aboard the space station to shelter in their respective spacecraft as a standard precautionary measure after it was informed of a satellite break-up at an altitude near the station’s earlier Wednesday. Mission Control continued to monitor the path of the debris, and after about an hour, the crew was cleared to exit their spacecraft and the station resumed normal operations."
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As the astronauts continue their stay at the ISS, they must remain vigilant of the space junk that routinely orbits above Earth. According to LiveScience, this space junk poses a growing and persistent threat to astronauts and satellites. Space agencies are tasked with monitoring over 30,000 pieces of space debris, but countless smaller fragments remain unidentifiable. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks and challenges associated with space exploration.
