ISS: How two US astronauts got stranded in space

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On September 6th, NASA will stream spectacular images from space. You can see the International Space Station (ISS), where Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft undocks and flies back to Earth. A few hours later, the Starliner lands safely in the desert of New Mexico, USA, after its first test flight. Everything went smoothly, except for one juicy detail: the spaceship returned without its crew.

The two US astronauts stayed behind on the ISS because technical problems occurred on the test flight and therefore, from NASA’s point of view, the safety risk of flying back with a man was too high.
What this unplanned long stay in space means for the two astronauts, whether care is guaranteed and how they keep physically and mentally fit in space, science editor Christian Speicher explains in the new episode of “NZZ Akent”. “These astronauts are trained precisely for such unforeseen extreme situations,” says Speicher, adding that the pressure of density on the ISS is difficult to master.

The problem is much bigger for Boeing, whose test flight with the Starliner did not go as hoped. “This not only entails enormous costs, but above all means a loss of face for Boeing – even compared to its competitor SpaceX,” says Speicher. Because we now have to rely on SpaceX when it comes to bringing the two NASA astronauts back to Earth in February 2025.