Featured Image Credit: MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/Contributor/Getty / VideoFromSpace/YouTube
The idea of being stuck in space sounds more like a plot for a movie than a real life scenario.
Yet for two NASA astronauts it's very much a reality as they are currently at the International Space Station after their spacecraft hit issues, and don't currently have a plan for how to get home.
Their spacecraft, which experienced thruster and helium system malfunctions, has effectively left them 'stranded in space'.
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The journey began in June, as part of Boeing's commercial crew programme, and the original plan was to set off and then return after a week-long mission.
Yet the spacecraft ran into difficulty when it reached the International Space Station.
As it docked, five of the 28 thrusters shut down unexpectedly and engineers have also found five small helium leaks. All of this spells trouble for the spacecraft, and present 'significant safety risks' impacting when they can leave and safely return home.
Rather than panic, like most of us would, the pair of astronauts are remarkably cool about their current situation.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were interviewed as they await help from NASA, and they insisted they are 'confident' they would know what they need to do if they couldn't be rescued.
Watch the interview here:
A video shared on TikTok was captioned: "The Boeing Starliner ship's return to Earth has been postponed indefinitely due to malfunctions including helium leaks and thruster glitches. Nasa Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore give an update from the ship."
Speaking from space, the duo explained how they feel being 'stranded in space'.
Whilst floating in their gravity-less spacecraft, Sunita explained: "We've been through a lot of simulations for this spacecraft to go through all sorts of iterations of failures.
"And I think that where we are right now, and what we know right now and how the spacecraft flew as it was coming in to the docking as Butch described.
"I feel confident that if we had to and if there was a problem with the International Space Station, we can get in our spacecraft and we can undock , talk to our team and figure out the best way to come home.
"Like I said, we've practiced a lot. So I have a feeling, I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home."
Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, has stated that a return timeline for Williams and Wilmore has not yet been determined but they are working hard on trying to get them home.
