Editing 2978: Stranded

{{comic
| number    = 2978
| date      = August 28, 2024
| title     = Stranded
| image     = stranded_2x.png
| imagesize = 219x323px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = At least they're not alone down there.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TWO ASTRONAUTS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT STRANDED NOSIREEBOB - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is making fun of the {{w|Boeing Starliner}}, which launched for its Crewed Flight Test on June 5th, 2024. The mission to the {{w|International Space Station}} was originally scheduled for only 8 days, but as of the comic’s release (Aug 28, 2024) the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are still "stranded" on the ISS.

The comic points out that being stranded is a matter of perspective and circumstances; people on Earth could equally be considered "stranded", unable to get off the planet. Many science fiction stories deal with some sort of rush to evacuate the Earth, though there's usually a reason why they would wish to leave, a reason that's notably absent in the comic. Moreover, the proposed solution of one rocket would not be able to bring all 8 billion people on Earth to space.{{cn}}

The comic is also making fun of the fact that during press conferences, NASA has stressed that the Starliner astronauts are not actually stranded, because there are procedures for emergency returns to Earth. But they're not expected to return until February 2025, on a {{w|SpaceX Crew_Dragon}}.

The title text references commentators saying that at least the Starliner crew aren't alone up there, as there are currently nine people aboard the ISS, but flips it around to be about the (8 billion) people on Earth.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Two astronauts are shown floating in the cabin of the International Space Station, Megan near the top and Cueball near the bottom. Various devices are visible attached to the walls of the space station. There's an elliptical window through which they can see the planet below. Three shapes that resemble clouds or continents are visible on the planet.]
:Megan: Until they get another rocket ready to launch, 8 billion people are stranded down there.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Space]]