Boeing’s Starliner glitches prompt NASA to delay astronauts’ return from space station
- In Reports
- 07:29 PM, Jun 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
Two NASA astronauts are extending their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) due to ongoing troubleshooting of issues that arose with Boeing's new space capsule during their journey there. NASA announced on June 28th that the astronauts will remain on the ISS until engineers complete ground testing and ensure their safety.
"We're not in any rush to come home," stated Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, indicating a cautious approach to resolving the technical challenges before scheduling their return.
Veteran NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5. This marked Boeing's first astronaut launch after encountering years of delays and setbacks. The initial plan was for a week-long test flight, during which Wilmore and Williams would evaluate the capsule's performance while docked at the ISS.
However, issues with the capsule's propulsion system, crucial for manoeuvering in space, arose during the mission. These problems prompted NASA and Boeing to postpone the return flight multiple times as they conducted thorough analyses to understand and address the issues.
Shortly after Starliner approached the space station following its launch, it faced last-minute thruster failures that nearly disrupted the docking process. Out of the capsule's 28 thrusters, five malfunctioned, posing a challenge. Despite this setback, all but one of the affected thrusters were successfully restarted to facilitate docking.
When Boeing's Starliner launched into orbit, it already had a minor helium leak, and additional leaks developed during the flight. Helium is crucial for pressurising fuel used in thrusters. Boeing confirmed this week that these issues are separate from concerns related to the return trip. NASA and Boeing postponed the astronauts' return to Earth to gather more data about the thruster malfunctions and leaks, which are located in the service module, an attachment that burns up during reentry.
Initially, NASA had indicated that Starliner could remain docked at the space station for up to 45 days due to battery limitations. However, ongoing in-flight tests have shown that this limit can be extended, according to Steve Stich. Officials have decided not to set a return date for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams while they conduct ground tests of the capsule thrusters in the New Mexico desert. These tests, expected to last a couple of weeks, aim to replicate the conditions experienced during docking.
Steve Stich emphasised that Wilmore and Williams are not stranded in space, clarifying that Starliner is designed for missions lasting up to 210 days. He also noted that in the event of an emergency at the space station, the astronauts could return to Earth aboard Starliner.
Following the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, NASA transitioned astronaut transportation to private companies. Elon Musk's SpaceX has completed nine crewed missions for NASA since 2020. NASA plans to alternate crew transport services between SpaceX and Boeing for trips to and from the space station.
Image Source: NCTV
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