BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews upcoming astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire.
This week, an update on two astronauts who captured the world’s attention when their stay on the International Space Station went from a couple of days to the better part of a year.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore launched into space last June, expecting to be back on Earth just days later. But problems with their Boeing Starliner led NASA to keep them ‘on hold’ in orbit for some 286 days.
The space agency was adamant that the astronauts were not stranded. And they finally returned to Earth on a SpaceX rocket, splashing down on March 18.
“It's unclear when the next crewed space flight of Boeing Starliner will be, given the amount of changes they need to review,” McGuire said, noting that NASA will conduct extensive testing to assure the safety of the spacecraft.
And in fact, even the International Space Station will not last forever.
“Everything must come to an end,” McGuire said. “so the future plans are to deorbit it by the end of 2030.”
But he noted that "a lot can happen" in five years, and the partnership that manages the ISS could, in theory, take actions to extend its life.