Space Station Astronauts Stuck in the Departure Lounge

4 minute read

Think you hate it when you miss a flight? Tell that to Terry Virts, Samantha Cristoforetti and Anton Shkaplerov. Since November, all three have had confirmed return seats booked aboard the same Soyuz spacecraft that carried them to the International Space Station (ISS) and has remained docked there ever since. They were set to come home this month, after a long half-year in orbit.

But scheduling is a tricky thing in the space flight business, especially when it comes to the ISS which, like any busy travel hub, must juggle a lot of incoming and outgoing vehicles. Some carry crew, some carry cargo—and all carry a high risk that something can go wrong. Something did go wrong in late April, when an unmanned Russian supply ship, the Progress 59, carrying 2.6 tons of goods—including oxygen, water, propellant, clothing, spare parts and spacewalk hardware—spun out of control after reaching orbit. That made it impossible for the ship to dock with the ISS, and a few days later, the Russian and American space agencies agreed the cause was lost. On May 7, all 24 ft. (7 m) and 21,000 lbs. (9,500 kg) of spacecraft and cargo tumbled back into the atmosphere and incinerated.

That had knock-on effects. Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov, the crew for what’s known as Expedition 42, were to leave behind the newly arrived Expedition 43—Gennady Padalka and year-in-space marathoners Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko—and be replaced by the three person Expedition 44 crew before the end of the month. But a new crew requires a freshly provisioned station, and sending Expedition 42 home on schedule would have left ISS short-handed for too long before a new Progress ship could be readied for launch.

MORE: Watch The Trailer For TIME’s Unprecedented New Series: A Year In Space

“The ISS partners prefer to keep crew handovers, or the time when only three crew are onboard, short so we can maximize the important science and research we’re conducting on the orbiting laboratory,” NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz said in an e-mail to TIME.

The plan now is for Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov to wait at least until early June to come home. A new Progress will follow in early July and the Expedition 44 crew will launch in late July.

That, however, depends on the Progress line of spacecraft being declared fit to fly, and the language of NASA’s press release raised some red flags, hinting, perhaps inadvertently, that there might be something more troubling going on than just a one-off malfunction in a single ship. “The partner agencies agreed to adjust the schedule after hearing the Russian Federal Space Agency’s (Roscosmos) preliminary findings on the recent loss of the Progress,” the release said, without saying just what Roscosmos had revealed. More information, NASA said, would not be forthcoming until May 22. Neither NASA nor Roscosmos have responded to an e-mail from TIME requesting clarification.

None of this represents anything like an emergency. The station is fully supplied with essentials that can last at least until the fall, and there is no shortage of work to keep all six crewmembers busy while Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov await their lift home.

This past week, Virts and Kelly completed upgrades on the station’s carbon dioxide scrubbers—the system that removes waste gas from the cabin atmosphere and keeps it breathable. They have also been working with Cristoforetti to stow scientific samples and other equipment aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft, which arrived at the station on April 17 with 4,300 lbs (1,950 kg) of food and supplies and will undock and come home on May 21. Unlike Progress vehicles, which are designed to burn up on reentry, Dragons splash down intact, making them suitable for two-way cargo (and eventually crew) runs.

If Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov are disappointed at the postponed homecoming—and how could they not be when it’s been six months since they’ve eaten a steak, tasted a beer or felt anything other than a fan-driven, climate-controlled breeze on their faces—they wouldn’t let on publicly. That’s not in the nature of ISS crews who sign on for long hauls with always-conditional return dates.

They might also spare a thought for crewmates Kelly and Kornienko. When the two of them—who have been on board since March 29—reach the six-month mark in their mission, they’ll still have another whole six to go. It’s not just on Earth that no matter how sorry you feel for yourself, there’s always someone who’s got things a little harder.

See Scott Kelly's First 30 Days in Space

Good guesses on my 1st #SpaceGeo pic! I'll announce the winner Friday. Do you know your geo? http://1.usa.gov/1bw0Xuh
Scott Kelly has posted a photo almost every day since arriving at the ISS. Here, see a selection from his first 30 days in space. (Via Twitter on April 23, 2015)Scott Kelly—NASA
Was asked what I write down on this small kneeboard. Mostly hardware serial numbers and #ISS locations. #YearInSpace
"Was asked what I write down on this small kneeboard. Mostly hardware serial numbers and #ISS locations. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 28, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
I wonder what they do here. #NorthAfrica #YearInSpace
"I wonder what they do here. #NorthAfrica #YearInSpace" - via Twitter April 27, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Looks serene from @Space_Station, but my thoughts are still with the people affected by the #NepalEarthquake.
"Looks serene from @Space_Station, but my thoughts are still with the people affected by the #NepalEarthquake." - via Twitter on April 26, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#Movie night in micro #Gravity aboard #ISS on our new HD projector which we use for conferences, tech software, etc..
"#Movie night in micro #Gravity aboard #ISS on our new HD projector which we use for conferences, tech software, etc.." - via Twitter on April 25, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
My #bedroom aboard #ISS. All the comforts of #home. Well, most of them. #YearInSpace
"My #bedroom aboard #ISS. All the comforts of #home. Well, most of them. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 24, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#EarthObservations Window on the world. Studying our planet from the cupola on @space_station #NoPlaceLikeHome
"#EarthObservations Window on the world. Studying our planet from the cupola on @space_station #NoPlaceLikeHome" - via Twitter on April 22, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Blown away by a dust swept #RedSea. Good morning from the @space_station!  #YearInSpace.
"Blown away by a dust swept #RedSea. Good morning from the @space_station! #YearInSpace." - via Twitter on April 21, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#Calcutta area shimmers in the sunlight. #YearInSpace
"#Calcutta area shimmers in the sunlight. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 20, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Africa. I wonder what these desert sands look like up close?#YearInSpace
"Africa. I wonder what these desert sands look like up close?#YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 19, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Working on #ISS research today & how micro gravity impacts aging and muscles of the C Elegan roundworm. #YearInSpace
"Working on #ISS research today & how micro gravity impacts aging and muscles of the C Elegan roundworm. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 18, 2015NASA
Great job @AstroSamantha and @AstroTerry capturing #SpaceX Dragon this morning! #YearInSpace
"Great job @AstroSamantha and @AstroTerry capturing #SpaceX Dragon this morning! #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 17, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
The varied colors of #Madagascar. #YearInSpace
"The varied colors of #Madagascar. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 16, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Sometimes the #world seems to shimmer. #YearInSpace
"Sometimes the #world seems to shimmer. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 15, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Congrats @SpaceX and @NASA team on a successful launch! Watched with my crewmates aboard #ISS. #YearInSpace
"Congrats @SpaceX and @NASA team on a successful launch! Watched with my crewmates aboard #ISS. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 14, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
This #butterfly caught my eye while flying high above the #gulfofmexico. #YearInSpace
"This #butterfly caught my eye while flying high above the #gulfofmexico. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 13, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Not sure what is going on on this beach in #Mexico but it's a striking image. #YearInSpace
"Not sure what is going on on this beach in #Mexico but it's a striking image. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 12, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#Earth is breathtaking. #YearInSpace
"#Earth is breathtaking. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 11, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Hopefully this is pollen or algae and not something man made. #YearInSpace
"Hopefully this is pollen or algae and not something man made. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 10, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Madagascar drains its red mud into the Indian Ocean. #YearInSpace
"Madagascar drains its red mud into the Indian Ocean. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 9, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Looks messy, but it's functional. Our #food table on the @space station. What's for breakfast? #YearInSpace
"Looks messy, but it's functional. Our #food table on the @space station. What's for breakfast? #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 8, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#Patagonia never disappoints. #YearInSpace
"#Patagonia never disappoints. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 7, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
#Australia. You are very beautiful. Thanks for being there to brighten our day. #YearInSpace
"#Australia. You are very beautiful. Thanks for being there to brighten our day. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 6, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Good morning Southern #Florida from the #ISS. #YearInSpace
"Good morning Southern #Florida from the #ISS. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 5, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
Enjoying Saturday evening dinner with @AstroTerry on the #ISS
"Enjoying Saturday evening dinner with @AstroTerry on the #ISS" - via Twitter on April 4, 2015NASA
#FlashbackFriday Got my 1st EMT training at 16. Emergency medical training on #ISS keeps me 35 years proficient.
"#FlashbackFriday Got my 1st EMT training at 16. Emergency medical training on #ISS keeps me 35 years proficient." - via Twitter on April 3, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA
.@FLOTUS Thank you. Made it! Moving into crew quarters on @space_station to begin my #yearinspace.
".@FLOTUS Thank you. Made it! Moving into crew quarters on @space_station to begin my #yearinspace." - via Twitter on March 30, 2015Scott Kelly—NASA

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Write to Jeffrey Kluger at jeffrey.kluger@time.com