The world is watching and waiting as NASA works to get two stranded astronauts home from space. We're also seeing faith at work as the rescue effort proceeds.
NASA Astronaut Barry Wilmore and test pilot Suni Williams should have returned from their mission weeks ago, but engine failure has prevented that.
As fellow Christians pray for their safety, Wilmore, a longtime church elder, and Williams both have the important treasure of faith with them in outer space.
Facing the unknown, both NASA and its stranded crew are checking and double-checking all options so they can get home.
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"We are finding stuff and we're correcting it and making changes, making updates with our control team," said Williams.
The Boeing Starliner is on hold due to thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba says the team continues to search for answers. "I do want to put this into perspective. If Butch (Wilmore) and Suni (Williams) do not come home on Starliner and they are kept aboard the station, they will have about eight months on orbit," said Acaba. That means no likely return until next year.
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Acaba says there's just not enough insight or data to make a clear decision yet.
Still, he's confident Wilmore and Williams' experience onboard the spaceship will keep them safe.
Apart from human logic, in the midst of this uncertainty, both have an invaluable asset.
"Faith in the life of an astronaut is eminently important. They are dealing and working with things that the rest of us cannot necessarily wrap our heads around," said Pastor Wencil Pavlovsky.
Pavlovsky leads Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Texas. He's had at least 36 parishioners who were once astronauts, even gifting one with blessings from the altar to serve as a reminder that God is always near.
"The Blessed Sacrament is inside that Luna which Mike Good took with him into outer space. He brought it back so it could be used here every day of the week," said Pavlovsky.
At Saint Paul, Pavlovsky and his parishioners know the importance of praying over every space mission. "We are connected in an absolutely fascinating way with what goes on in the rest of the universe," he said.
As engineers on the ground scramble to understand the problems, Pavlovsky is calling on Christians everywhere to pray for God to intervene.
As for the families of Williams and Wilmore, neither are concerned and expect a later return. Wilmore's wife Deanna recently said her husband is content under the circumstances, knowing the Lord is in control.
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