Produced by: Manoj Kumar
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were supposed to return after 8 days, but Starliner’s technical failures left them stranded for over 9 months.
Elon Musk claimed SpaceX could have brought them back months ago but said the Biden administration refused for “political reasons.” NASA denies this.
NASA paid Boeing $4.2 billion to develop the Starliner capsule, but thruster failures and helium leaks made it unreliable—forcing NASA to turn to SpaceX.
NASA insists politics played no role, but critics argue that the agency hesitated too long to call SpaceX, possibly to protect Boeing’s reputation.
NASA officials and the astronauts themselves deny being stranded, saying they are well-equipped for extended stays on the ISS.
Despite Boeing’s contract, NASA increasingly relies on SpaceX for astronaut transport—raising questions about the agency’s future contractor relationships.
The return date was changed multiple times, with the latest plan bringing Williams and Wilmore back around March 19 or 20, 2025.
Space experts say NASA was likely protecting its long-term partnerships, balancing politics, contracts, and safety.
With future Moon and Mars missions planned, the incident raises concerns about NASA’s decision-making and the reliability of commercial spaceflight.
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