The United States could miss astronauts in space in November 2019 • El Nuevo Diario

The two companies that have signed a contract with NASA to take their astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), Boeing and SpaceX, will not be able to meet the scheduled time and plan a first trip. 2019, according to a report

As a result, NASA could have no way to send astronauts into space as of November 2019, when the latest US astronauts will return from space. ISS to Earth via the Russian spacecraft Soyuz.

NASA stopped its space launches in 2011, and since then has relied on Russian ships to take astronauts into space. In 2014, he entrusted Boeing and SpaceX with the task of developing new launch systems that could be used from 2019. Currently, there are three Americans, one German and two Russians in the ISS, where the stay average is about five

But the Office of the Comptroller of the Government (GAO) confirmed in a report made public this Wednesday that the two companies were delayed in their programs.

Boeing will not be certified until December 2019 and not in January as it was the case, and SpaceX in January 2020 instead of February 2019.

The Consequence is that NASA would end up without space transportation means after the expiry of its contract with Soyuz in November 2019.

"NASA is exploring other options, but has no plan B to avoid an interruption (while traveling), "reads the report.

The risk is that up to nine months without you n the US space, probably because the two companies can only perform these space travels in August 2020, according to NASA calculations .

But American space policy takes for granted a continuous and uninterrupted presence of this country in the world.

The solutions to avoid this are not simple: the purchase of additional positions in the Soyuz does not seem feasible because it is a process that must begin three years before the trip planned.

Another option would be to place the astronauts in the Soyuz. test flights of these two companies, but this would represent a major risk to the safety of astronauts.