NASA insists that two astronauts are not “stranded” in space
The Starliner mishap is another embarrassment for Boeing
What a treat to glimpse the cosmos up close. Which is not to deny the inconveniences of space travel. There are bodily troubles. “The toilet—I literally sit on it like a witch on a broom,” wrote Valentin Lebedev, a cosmonaut, in his diary. “It won’t forgive your mistakes.” Suffice to say that relieving oneself in zero gravity involves leg restraints, gloves, disinfectant and a device like a vacuum cleaner.
Explore more
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Misadventures in low-Earth orbit”
United States August 24th 2024
- San Francisco Democrats are embracing “law and order” politics
- Police are killing more Americans than ever. Where’s the outrage?
- How Robert F. Kennedy junior’s effect on the election has shifted
- Behind the surge in migrants crossing America’s northern border
- NASA insists that two astronauts are not “stranded” in space
- Where crashing cars is the point
- History will judge Joe Biden by Kamala Harris
From the August 24th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from United States
Los Angeles is burning
Always vulnerable, the city is increasingly susceptible to fire
The US Army needs inferior, cheaper drones to compete
It seems obvious. So what is stopping it from happening?
Trump has faced down Republican dissidents in Congress
After some drama he gets his man for speaker of the House. That was the easy part
Russ Vought: Donald Trump’s holy warrior
The Christian nationalist and budget wonk who wants to crush the “deep state”
Jimmy Carter reshaped his home town
What the 39th president means to Plains, Georgia