On Saturday, a Roscosmos cargo spacecraft successfully delivered nearly three tons of food, fuel, and essential supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Progress 89 spacecraft docked at the Russian Zvezda Service module’s port at 5:53 GMT, according to NASA. Launched on August 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket, this delivery is vital for the Expedition 71 crew on the ISS.
Among the recipients are NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stranded at the ISS due to unresolved issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule. Their initial eight-day test mission, which began in June, has been extended indefinitely due to complications with Starliner’s propulsion system.
If the Starliner capsule remains unfit for return, Wilmore and Williams might have to wait until February 2025 to return to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Roscosmos spacecraft will remain docked at the ISS for about six months, acting as a temporary storage facility for waste before it is decommissioned and burns up upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
This situation highlights the challenges faced by space agencies in maintaining the safety and reliability of crewed missions. The ongoing problems with the Starliner capsule have raised significant concerns within NASA and increased pressure on Boeing to resolve the technical issues affecting the spacecraft.
