Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images
There has been a major update on the NASA astronauts that are stranded in space.
The two astronauts boarded the International Space Station for what was meant to be an eight-day mission but they have been stuck in space since June this year.
Now, it looks like their stay above the atmosphere will be even longer as their rescue mission has been delayed yet again.
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Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams experienced technical faults with their spacecraft, running into some serious issues with Starliner's propulsion system.
Multiple problems were found as five of the spacecraft’s maneuvering thrusters had reportedly stalled, as well as five helium leaks and a faulty propellant valve.
Boeing had insisted that the spacecraft was safe, following thruster tests that had taken place both in space and on the ground.
But NASA deemed it too unsafe for the pair to return to Earth and instead they will need to wait until next year when they will be picked up by SpaceX Crew-9.
Their pickup date was meant to be in February, NASA has now shared that it won’t be before March.
This is because SpaceX needs more time to get their Dragon capsule ready.
NASA program manager Steve Stich said: “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail.
“We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station programme and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.”
While the duo of stranded astronauts face an even longer wait than expected there have been some concerns that have been growing over their health.
This comes after recent images uploaded to social media showed them appearing severely gaunt.
In a series of photos that were posted by the ISS on Instagram, the pair can be seen enjoying a pizza night.
While Williams appears to be in good spirits, her cheeks seem hollow and have caught the attention of people on social media.
One user commented on the Instagram post, saying: “Is Suni OK? Health wise?”
Over on X, formerly Twitter, another said: “It looks like those two American astronauts stuck in the ISS are not in good health, especially Suni Williams.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Vinay Gupta said: “What you’re seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods.”
Gupta continued: “They’re intaking very high-calorie foods, as you can tell — cold cuts, and, you know, other meats, the proteins, but high-fat cold cuts — it’s not necessarily a balanced diet.”
