Sunita and Butch have been trapped in space for 3 months

Their spaceflight was the final test before Boeing's Starliner spacecraft began commercial flight. However, they have reached the ISS, which is 488 km above the surface of the earth for eight days, but they will be stuck there for months.

These two senior astronauts of NASA did not see any problems in the flight at first, but after reaching the Earth's orbit (orbit), problems started to appear. Despite some problems, they managed to successfully dock the spacecraft with the ISS. After some evaluation and study, NASA has decided not to return the two astronauts on the same spacecraft and to find another alternative for them. They are currently working on the ISS along with 4 other NASA astronauts and 3 astronauts from the Russian space program. Although the ISS normally shelters 7 people, it has the capacity to accommodate up to 10 people. In the year 2009, there is a record of 13 people living there.

Next February, Space X's Crew Dragon capsule, which is going into space with two passengers, is preparing two more seats to bring the stranded passengers back home. Before there was an official opinion on this matter at the event held at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston last Saturday, there were many rumors that 'Sunita and Butch were stranded in space, because the spacecraft was damaged and they would be stuck there now'. According to NASA, such challenges are not unusual in space travel and in the coming days, both passengers will sit on the ISS and engage in various research, exploration and scientific tests.

'Both Sunita and Butch agree with NASA's decision and will now continue to carry out more space mission activities from the space station,' said NASA Flight Operations Director Norman Knight. Sunita's mother Ursuline Boni Padya has responded that this will probably be her daughter's last space trip and that it is better to come safely even if it is a bit late than taking risks. "I am the mother of a commercial astronaut and I understand such things, so I am not too worried," she said in a recent interview, "Anything can happen after going to space." My daughter's friend Frank Rubio went for 6 months but ended up staying over a year. I just want my daughter to be safe.'

One of the two major space centers that orbits the Earth once every one and a half hours at the level of the Earth's thermosphere, the ISS has the coordination of space organizations from 15 different countries. The center has been in continuous operation since 1998, which is jointly used and managed by agencies such as NASA, Russia's Rasmussen, Europe's ESA, Japan's JAXA and Canada's CSA. Similarly, the Tiangong Space Center, which China has been operating since 2021 on its own initiative, orbits the Earth at an altitude close to that of the ISS. There are also 3 astronauts now.

58-year-old Sunita Williams, who has spent 466 days (until Thursday) in space, is the 58-year-old among the 12 travelers who are currently traveling in space. In second place is Michael Barrett who has spent 390 days. Michael left for space on March 4 on the SpaceX Crew-8 mission with three other companions. Among the three Chinese passengers who arrived at the Tiangong Space Station on April 25, Ye Uangfu has spent 380 days in space so far.

With the news of Sunita and Butch being stuck in space, the interesting and adventurous story of flight engineer Sergey Krikalev, who was stuck in space indefinitely 33 years ago, is now coming to the memory of many. Sergei, who went into space during the then Soviet Union, became confused about returning to Earth after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the establishment of independent states. When the country that sent him into space ceased to exist, he left the earth for five months, and there was uncertainty about when, where and how he would return home. On May 18, 1991, seven months after he arrived there as a citizen of the Soviet Union aboard the Soyuz TM-12 spacecraft, the Soviet Union dissolved. When Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Union, there were rumors of bringing Sergei back to Earth, but no action was taken. Some called him 'man left in space'.

In March 1992, with the help of Germany, he was finally able to return to Earth, but his home address had changed. While going to space, the Kazakhstan Baikonur Space Center under the Soviet Union was under independent Kazakhstan when he returned, and his home address was changed from Leningrad to St. Petersburg.

In recent days, Russia has been trying to revamp its space industry, which has been troubled by US government sanctions. In 2001, Russia ended the mission by ejecting the Mir space station from its axis into Earth's lower atmosphere and breaking it up. The ISS, which was established in 1998, has been continuously inhabited by astronauts since October 2000. Interestingly, even though there is conflict and bitter relationship between Russia-US, US-China and other countries on earth, those countries have been living together in space. The space station is also regarded as an exemplary site of international unity. In a vlog made 11 years ago, Sunita is seen entering a Russian station and jokingly saying, 'No passport needed here'.

The four NASA astronauts currently on the ISS are returning to Earth next month. Having Sunita and Butch there will facilitate NASA's routine exploration, research and scientific testing. However, due to the sudden addition of two members, sleeping place, toilet and food have to be arranged for 9 people in the ISS. "The space station has seven sleeping boxes and three toilets," NASA astronaut Victor Glover, who recently returned from spending six months on the ISS, told the BBC. Even though it is packed with people inside, looking down at the earth from the window, there is a wonderful view of our blue planet.'

Sunita and Butch reached the space center last June 6. As they approached the ISS in orbit, five of the Starliner's thrusters (engines) malfunctioned. That delayed docking, the automatic docking of spacecraft, by about an hour. It was also discovered that helium gas was leaking from the capsule's propulsion system. According to NBC News, the problem was known before the plane's launch, but it became more complicated during the flight. NASA and Boeing engineers used test engines to identify and resolve problems before launch. It is said that the error occurred when the flight was operated thinking that there was a very small amount of helium leakage.

Boeing in continuing trouble

In September 2014, NASA awarded a multibillion-dollar project to both Boeing and SpaceX for the commercial flight of spacecraft. Boeing won the tender for $4.2 billion and Elon Musk's SpaceX for $2.6 billion. Since then, SpaceX has conducted 9 space flights with passengers for NASA and has completed several commercial flights as well. This was Boeing's first mission with passengers. Earlier, technical problems were seen in the Starliner during the Yatri Begar flight as well.

In the statement issued by Boeing, it is mentioned that the company will take more serious measures for the safety of both the astronauts and the spacecraft. The company's website describes the Starliner as a state-of-the-art vehicle of the 21st century, claiming that it is reusable up to 10 times with advanced technology and welding-free construction and a six-month turnaround time. It has wireless internet and tablet technology for the convenience of travelers. However, Boeing has been criticized for lagging behind SpaceX and experiencing technical problems with every mission.

After NASA announced that the astronauts stuck in space will be brought back from the SpaceX spacecraft, the company's reputation has suffered a blow, Boeing employees complain. In a conversation with the New York Post, a Boeing employee responded that it was disrespectful for NASA to announce that it would seek the help of a competing company when there was an option to solve the Starliner problem and return the astronauts to the same spacecraft. Boeing invested $1.5 billion more than the initial $4.5 billion given by NASA to build the Starliner. After this incident, the NASA certificate that Boeing has been trying to get for a long time has become uncertain.

Gambling in space flight

Boeing conducted this test flight under the 'Commercial Crew Program' operated by NASA through Space X and Boeing. NASA said on its website that this program was introduced in collaboration with the American private sector to give travelers the opportunity to travel from the United States to Low-Earth Orbit and the ISS at a safe, reliable and affordable price. Although NASA itself does not offer commercial space tourism, it has partnered with private companies to facilitate plans to travel around the Earth, beyond Earth, and in the future, to the Moon. Companies like Space X, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, Boeing, Orbital Assembly Corporation are actively involved in space tourism.

American businessman and engineer Dennis Tito, who traveled to space aboard Soyuz-TM 32 at a cost of 20 million dollars in 2001, is considered the first space travel tourist. Except for 2003 and 2004, every year until 2008, one person traveled to space. In 2009, two people visited space. The formal start of modern space tourism is believed to have started with technology entrepreneur Elon Musk's company SpaceX sending 4 civilians into space in 2021. Space X carried them back to an altitude of 563 km above the Earth in a three-day journey as part of the Inspiration-4 mission.

Until the 1970s, space programs such as space exploration and cargo transportation were all under government control. In 1962, when the United States introduced the Communications Satellite Act, it became easier for the private sector to use space for commercial purposes. Space X, the most influential in the private sector, has been providing cargo transportation, space tourism, and satellite Internet services. SpaceX is not limited to Earth's orbit, but aims to take humans to the moon and Mars in the future.

Space X's Polarize Dawn mission scheduled for this week has been postponed due to technical problems, but four astronauts will reach the Earth's radiation belt and perform a space walk there. It is also claimed to be the first commercial space walk. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Meizawa has even booked the 'Dear Moon Project' to ride on the starship that the company is building for the moon and Mars. The New Shepard spacecraft, built by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin, has already flown passengers on a sub-orbital mission halfway around the Earth. After reaching a certain altitude in a sub-orbital mission, the spacecraft is pulled down by Earth's gravity and the passengers feel weightless. Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic company has successfully launched 12 space flights so far. During its first space tourism flight in 2023, Galactic took a Caribbean mother-daughter duo on a sub-orbital trip, along with British athlete John Goodwin, who had booked their ticket 18 years earlier. The company said that it conducts such trips regularly.

America's Axium Station is trying to establish the world's first commercial space station. Initially, the company plans to dock with the ISS, but later it will be independent and facilitate those who want to travel, search and explore space. Russian spaceflight company Raskasmus is also continuously providing seats to tourists on the Soyuz spacecraft. Apart from this, there is also a separate business of high-altitude balloon trips that take tourists to the edge of space. Companies such as Space Perspective and World View have been offering balloon-based trips into the stratosphere, 50 km above Earth. In 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner set a world record by jumping to earth from a height of 39,000 meters in a helium balloon.

The global size of space tourism is estimated to exceed $27.86 billion by 2032, from around $888.3 million by 2023. The use of advanced technology such as reusable rockets is thought to make space tourism a more viable and promising field. It is estimated that the attraction of rich people who want to travel will also increase the investment. Governments have been promoting the sector by providing financial support, regulatory standards and easing infrastructure. The United States, which has announced that it will return its citizens to the moon by 2026, has already prepared for it.

50 years ago, 3 approved missions to the moon were cut short since the last astronauts landed on the Apollo 17 flight, saying they were too expensive and less important. Since then, America, which has been working hard to make space travel and flights to space in a commercial and low-cost manner, has been made 30 times less expensive by the commercial initiatives of companies like Space X and Boeing. China, which is preparing to build its own base on the moon by 2030, along with India, which has continuously flown, various countries have increased their activity in space travel, giving a glimpse of the 1960s. It has turned its attention to proving commercial, strategic and technological superiority in space. But Sunita and Butch's problems also expose the limitations of man-made technology.

(with the help of agencies)