Nasa's Fall From Grace: Astronauts Stranded In Space

Space is a dangerous place. Venturing beyond the boundaries requires technological prowess possessed by only a handful of nations. Among them, the U.S. has always been the pioneer. They were the first to land a human on the surface of the moon. But gone are the days, today NASA is making headlines for the wrong reasons. The space agency grapples with the unexpected predicament of two astronauts stranded in space. Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June for what was intended to be an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). But now NASA says, it would only be able to bring them back next year!

NASA has been the crown jewel of America's scientific and technological prowess, a beacon of innovation and human exploration. It has inspired generations and has been a darling of Hollywood, which has made countless movies about how it saves humanity from peril. The same agency is now confused and fumbling over options to bring back two astronauts stuck in space.

BOEING'S BILLION-DOLLAR BLUNDER

The sheer scale of this Boeing Starliner catastrophe is difficult to comprehend. What was supposed to be a routine week-long test flight to the International Space Station has now turned into an eight-month ordeal. The problems began almost immediately, on June 5 with the spacecraft experiencing leaks in its propulsion system and the shutdown of several critical thrusters during its approach to the orbital platform. Wilmore and Williams were forced to make the critical manoeuvres manually ever since they remained stranded.

NASA WEIGHS SPACEX RESCUE AFTER BOEING'S STARLINER CRISIS

NASA is now caught in a bitter internal debate over whether to gamble on Starliner or admit defeat and call in SpaceX. Initially scheduled for a four-person mission, the Crew Dragon will now have to be reconfigured to carry Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. But that can only happen in early 2025-if only NASA decides to go with SpaceX. This space disaster also highlights the severity of Boeing's failure and raises questions about its future in manned spaceflight.

The U.S. spends more on space programs than any other country in the world. In 2023, the U.S. government spent around $73.2 billion on space programs, which is more than all other governments combined.

NASA has been suffering from a multitude of problems. Its ambitious Artemis mission aimed to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plans were delayed. Again, its brand new rocket after being delayed four times, Artemis 1 successfully managed to launch on 16 November 2022. NASA is now racing to send humans back to the moon by 2027 under its revised schedule.

Not just the Moon mission, but several Mars missions too are facing difficulties. NASA's plans to send robots and humans to the Red Planet have been delayed due to various factors, including technological challenges, budget constraints, and logistical complexities.
NASA won the space race from the erstwhile Soviet Union with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. But today NASA faces a new competitor in China which is racing ahead with its space missions focused on a range of areas, including lunar exploration, Mars exploration, and a permanently crewed space station.