The goofy 1960s situation comedy Gilligan’s Island was centered around a small boat called the Minnow that was conducting seven people on a short ocean cruise tour when it marooned on an “uncharted desert isle.” But a real-life stranding in a far less hospitable place to be stuck is happening over our heads right now.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams got into a rocket and sprang into space on June 5 on the maiden voyage of Boeing’s troubled Starliner space capsule. They were supposed to be at the International Space Station for just eight days, but they’re still there.
And no one is sure when they’re coming home, and how they’ll get back to Earth. The two may be stranded for as long as eight months until Elon Musk’s SpaceX-produced Crew Dragon ship, which is scheduled to go to the ISS in February, 2025. The mission calls for four crew members, but Crew Dragon can be sent up with only two if necessary to make room for Williams and Wilmore to hitch a ride back down.
The families of the astronauts are, predictably, not best pleased. The Starliner has been rendered at least temporarily useless by helium tank leaks and the malfunctioning of its thrusters. While NASA is still trying to put a brave face on the situation and is talking about making repairs to the Starliner, the more time goes by the less likely that seems.
Butch Wilmore’s wife said, “We sort of don’t expect him until February.” For his part, Suni Williams’ husband Michael said he thought his wife might not mind being a temporary space cast away spending much more time on a space station than she planned. “That’s her happy place,” he said.
Right now there’s a Russian crew on the space station along with the two Americans. NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba said he’s spoken to the two Americans and said “they have fully integrated” into the staff about the station. But, he recognizes that this is hard on the people in orbit, as well as difficult for their families on the ground.
There is one more possibility for a ride home in September after a mission originally scheduled for August was put off until the next month, but there is no certainty for the two astronauts.
