{"id":2321020,"date":"2024-08-08T08:51:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T12:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nasa-needs-spacex-to-save-astronauts-they-stranded-in-space\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T08:55:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T12:55:53","slug":"nasa-needs-spacex-to-save-astronauts-they-stranded-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nasa-needs-spacex-to-save-astronauts-they-stranded-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Needs SpaceX To Save Astronauts They Stranded In Space"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnasa-needs-spacex-to-save-astronauts-they-stranded-in-space%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2321020&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>NASA \u200dastronauts Barry &#8220;Butch&#8221; Wilmore and Sunita &#8220;Suni&#8221; Williams have been stranded on the International \u2063Space Station (ISS) for eight weeks, far \u2064exceeding their expected eight-day mission. They were supposed to \u2062return on June 14, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-we-go-again-dekalb-county-georgia-is-re-scanning-advance-ballots-because-of-memory-card-issue\/\" title=\"Here We Go Again: DeKalb County Georgia is Re-Scanning Advance Ballots Because of \u2018Memory Card Issue\u2019\">technical issues<\/a> \u200dwith\u200c the Boeing Starliner spacecraft are preventing their return. The thrusters may be leaking helium, and NASA has not \u200byet secured a new launch \u2064date for the Starliner. <\/p>\n<p>While the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is currently docked at the ISS and\u2063 could potentially\u200b bring\u2064 the astronauts home, NASA\u2064 has not requested SpaceX&#8217;s assistance, and there&#8217;s no timeline for their rescue. This situation has\u2062 drawn \u2063criticism toward both NASA and Boeing, raising concerns about their competence and reliance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">government funding<\/a>, as NASA received over $34 billion and Boeing $6.7 \u2064billion this year. <\/p>\n<p>The article implies that political factors may be preventing NASA from \u2062acknowledging \u200cits\u2063 need for help, as doing so could damage the agency&#8217;s reputation during an election year. As the astronauts await\u2062 their return, their physical health and safety are at risk, while\u2063 the \u200cpublic continues to question the efficacy of governmental and aerospace institutions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Much like the character Major Tom in David Bowie&rsquo;s classic hit &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Space Oddity,<\/a>&rdquo; two NASA astronauts, Barry &ldquo;Butch&rdquo; Wilmore and Sunita &ldquo;Suni&rdquo; Williams, are currently &ldquo;sitting in a tin can, far above the world&rdquo; with little hope of landing back on Earth anytime soon. <\/p>\n<p>Their eight-day job on the International Space Station has now become <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/article\/2024\/jun\/26\/boeing-starliner-astronauts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eight weeks<\/a> and counting. The Boeing space shuttle Starliner which brought them to station keeps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/election-results-in-pennsylvania-and-oregon-delayed-by-printed-errors-in-mailed-ballots\/\" title=\"Election Results in Pennsylvania and Oregon Delayed by Printed Errors in Mailed Ballots\">experiencing technical issues<\/a> (apparently the thrusters might be leaking helium), preventing it from bringing Butch and Suni back home.<\/p>\n<p>The duo was supposed to return on June 14, but as of the time of this writing, NASA is still not ready to launch Starliner back into space to retrieve them. NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stitch reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2024\/07\/25\/starliner-press-conference-no-return-date-astronauts\/74541431007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admitted<\/a>: &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have a major announcement today relative to a return date. We&rsquo;re making great progress, but we&rsquo;re just not quite ready to do that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It just so happens that there is a spacecraft already docked at the ISS which could bring them home: the SpaceX Dragon. According to Eric Berger at <a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/space\/2024\/08\/yes-nasa-really-could-bring-starliners-astronauts-back-on-crew-dragon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>SpaceX has been actively working on a scenario in which two&nbsp;<em>or<\/em>&nbsp;four astronauts launch on board Crew 9. (A normal crew is four) This mission has a nominal launch date of August 18, but it could well be delayed. SpaceX has already identified flight suits that would fit Wilmore and Williams, allowing them to fly home on the Crew-8 spacecraft (presently docked to the space station) or the Crew-9 vehicle. It is unclear how crews would be assigned to the two Dragon return flights. It is possible, if four astronauts launch on Crew 9, that five people could fly home on each of the two Dragons.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Assuming that Starliner continues to malfunction for the foreseeable future, NASA may be forced to ask for help from SpaceX.<\/p>\n<p>But for the time being, no one at NASA has actually asked for help from SpaceX, nor does there seem to be any timetable for rescuing Butch and Suni. The most that has happened thus far has been NASA and Boeing testing thrusters in New Mexico and making excuses. Otherwise, the story has not received much attention from corporate media, and there seems to be little pressure put on NASA to work faster.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it&rsquo;s not difficult to guess why this is. The whole situation is a complete and utter embarrassment. Not only does the once revered organization <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/odeo\/diversity-and-inclusion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA<\/a> look hopelessly incompetent, but so does the once great American aircraft manufacturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boeing.com\/sustainability\/diversity-and-inclusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boeing<\/a>. Both institutions are notorious for touting their commitment to DEI hiring policies. Moreover, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/erickson-the-truth-behind-the-cheney-story\/\" title=\"ERICKSON: The Truth Behind The Cheney Story\">federal government continues<\/a> to lavish them with billions of tax dollars: NASA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/agency\/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration?fy=2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">received<\/a> over $34 billion this year alone, while Boeing was <a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/space\/2024\/07\/boeing-warns-of-more-financial-losses-on-starliner-commercial-crew-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paid<\/a> $6.7 billion for building Starliner. Meanwhile, SpaceX has made several functional rockets for a little more than <a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/space\/2024\/07\/boeing-warns-of-more-financial-losses-on-starliner-commercial-crew-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$3.1 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It seems apparent that NASA needs to enlist the help of SpaceX to bring back Butch and Suni, but this would be admitting failure at every level. Elon Musk would brag about it on X, Donald Trump would point and laugh at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1rcNpt30-Iw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA fangirl<\/a> Kamala Harris, who supports and embodies this kind of mediocrity, and more Americans would lose any remaining respect for NASA &mdash; all during an election year, no less. Thus, for political reasons, poor Butch and Suni will remain in space for way longer than was planned.<\/p>\n<p>This is a tremendous shame both for the stranded astronauts as well as the American people. While Butch and Suni waste away in zero-gravity <a href=\"https:\/\/www.explainingspace.com\/how-does-zero-gravity-affect-the-human-body\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feeling<\/a> their bones hollow out and their muscles deteriorate, the population at large also wastes away as their morally and financially bankrupt government continues to pay its bloated departments and corporate cronies to keep failing. All the while, dynamic companies like SpaceX that actually get the job done are aggressively held back and ignored because they make everyone else look bad and its founder Elon Musk now <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1812256998588662068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">supports<\/a> Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine how different things would be if the government spent less money and actually held private contractors responsible for their work. Such a system would easily bring back meritocracy, competition, and a culture of innovation. Even better, it would take away power and wealth from today&rsquo;s unaccountable elites (i.e. the people who own massive companies like Boeing and have a small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/03\/12\/politics\/boeing-capitol-hill-lobbying\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">army<\/a> of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. advocating on their behalf) and redistribute that power and wealth to smart, hardworking Americans who actually produce something valuable.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, this is the very system that today&rsquo;s Democrats and their supporters are fighting to keep at all costs. Even if it makes the majority of Americans poorer, lonelier, sadder, less safe, and less free, it helps a certain influential class of Americans stay in power. Hopefully, more people wake up to this corruption, call it out, and push to eliminate it so that America, its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-slam-psakis-space-force-slight\/\" title=\"Republicans Slam Psaki\u2019s Space Force Slight\">space program<\/a>, and its astronauts can finally be saved.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher in the Dallas area. He holds an MA in humanities and an MEd in educational leadership. He is the senior editor of <a>The Everyman<\/a>  , a senior contributor to The Federalist, and has written for essays for The American Mind, The American Conservative, Religion and Liberty, Crisis Magazine, and elsewhere. Follow him on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MeyratAuguste\">X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Similar to Major Tom from David Bowie\u2019s iconic song \u201cSpace Oddity,\u201d NASA astronauts Barry \u201cButch\u201d Wilmore and Sunita \u201cSuni\u201d Williams find themselves &#8220;sitting in a tin can, far above the world,&#8221; with little chance of returning to Earth in the near future. What was initially an eight-day mission on the International Space Station has stretched into eight weeks and counting. The Boeing Starliner spacecraft that transported them is facing ongoing technical difficulties\u2014specifically, potential helium leaks in its thrusters\u2014which have delayed their return. Although they were scheduled to come back on June 14, as of now, NASA has not yet prepared Starliner for a launch back into space for their retrieval. Steve Stitch, NASA&#8217;s Commercial Crew Program Manager, acknowledged that there are no significant updates regarding their return date: &#8220;We\u2019re making great progress, but we\u2019re just not quite ready to do that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, there is already a spacecraft docked at the ISS capable of bringing them home: SpaceX&#8217;s Dragon. According to Eric Berger from Ars Technica, SpaceX is exploring options for sending two or four astronauts aboard Crew 9 (which typically carries four). This mission is tentatively set for launch on August 18 but may face delays. SpaceX has also identified flight suits suitable for Wilmore and Williams so they could potentially return via either the Crew-8 or Crew-9 spacecraft currently at the station; however, it remains uncertain how crew assignments would be managed between these two flights.<\/p>\n<p>If Starliner continues its technical issues indefinitely, NASA might need to seek assistance from SpaceX. However, as of now, no formal request for help has been made by NASA nor is there any clear timeline established for rescuing Butch and Suni. So far, efforts have mainly involved testing thrusters in New Mexico without much media coverage or public pressure on NASA to expedite matters.<\/p>\n<p>The situation reflects poorly not only on NASA but also on Boeing\u2014a once-respected American aerospace manufacturer\u2014both organizations having faced criticism over their commitment to diversity hiring policies while receiving substantial federal funding: over $34 billion this year alone went to NASA while Boeing received $6.7 billion for developing Starliner. In contrast, SpaceX has successfully built several operational rockets at a cost of just over $3 billion.<\/p>\n<p>It seems evident that enlisting SpaceX\u2019s help would signify failure across multiple levels within both agencies\u2014a scenario Elon Musk would likely boast about publicly while political figures like Donald Trump might mock those associated with this perceived incompetence during an election year.<\/p>\n<p>This predicament represents a significant disappointment not only for Butch and Suni but also reflects broader issues affecting American society as taxpayers continue funding failing programs instead of supporting effective companies like SpaceX which deliver results yet remain sidelined due to political dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>A shift towards holding private contractors accountable could foster meritocracy and innovation while redistributing power away from entrenched elites who benefit from current systems\u2014something many Democrats seem intent on preserving despite its negative impact on most Americans\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n<p>Auguste Meyrat teaches English in Dallas and holds advanced degrees in humanities and educational leadership; he serves as senior editor at The Everyman and contributes regularly across various publications including The Federalist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":2321021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/astronaut.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[20139,11488,33704,37518,4844],"class_list":["post-2321020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-astronauts","tag-nasa","tag-rescue-operation","tag-space-mission","tag-spacex"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/astronaut.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/551"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2321020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321020\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2321021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2321020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2321020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2321020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}