It's been 75 days since NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station.
But while they were supposed to spend just eight days on board the orbital lab, technical difficulties plaguing their ride, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, have delayed their return journey indefinitely.
And while NASA has insisted that the pair aren't "stranded," it seems pretty clear that they are, by any normal understanding of the term.
MSN
Boeing equipment.
Boeing Starliner program manager Mark Nappi says he's not surprised that the spacecraft is stuck up there — and says he regrets not managing expectations up front.
"I think we all knew that it was going to go longer than that," he said. "We didn’t spend a lot of time talking about how much longer, but I think it’s my regret that we didn’t just say ‘We’re going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to go do.'"
NASA has yet to announce a plan of how to get Williams and Wilmore back to the surface. The agency is considering two options: either risk their return inside Starliner or — in a deeply embarrassing turn for Boeing — make space for their return on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft early next year.
Monday, [former member of the Ukrainian Parliament and adviser to the government, named Anton] Gerashchenko shared a video on Telegram of senior citizens imploring Russian President Vladimir Putin—or in their words, dear "Vladimir Vladimirovich"—to rescue NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are presently residing on the International Space Station.
[...]
"There are two American astronauts in space right now," one man says. "They have been in trouble for two months. Their Boeing broke down on the way. The engines failed, they somehow made it to the International Space Station. And now they don't know how to get back. We ask you to help them."
Ars Technica
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
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