(NewsNation) – Boeing’s Starliner capsule remains docked at the International Space Station as the company and NASA face new urgency when it comes to returning the capsule and crew home.
After several pre-launch problems, Starliner finally began its first crewed test mission on June 5, lifting off from Cape Canaveral with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board. The pair were expected to remain on the ISS for about eight days before returning to Earth.
Following multiple helium leaks detected in the Starliner service module and difficulties with the spacecraft’s thrusters In the first docking attempt, the astronauts have already been on the ISS for eight weeks.
Although experts say calling the crew “prey“It’s a bit of a stretch, the reality is that NASA now faces the prospect of needing to get them home before a SpaceX mission scheduled for August 18 can proceed.
The problem in question is parking. The ISS has six docking stations, four on the Russian side and two on the American side. Currently, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavor is using one dock and the Starliner is occupying the other. Endeavor is not scheduled to return to Earth until the fall.
While it may seem like the solution is to borrow a seat from the Russians, incompatible technology means this is not viable. Instead, one of the two ships currently docked will have to depart before the Crew Dragon Freedom’s planned mission can proceed.
NASA and Boeing have continued to maintain the crew will return home on the Starliner while testing continues to ensure there is enough power for the thrusters to perform the maneuvers necessary to return to Earth. One complicating factor is that the service module burns out on re-entry, making it necessary for engineers to gather all the data they can before the Starliner leaves the ISS.
However, activity on the planet has led to suspicions that NASA may opt to have Williams and Wilmore returned home via a SpaceX Dragon capsule, something that would be another blow to Boeing in the near future. It’s already a bad year.
Ars Technique sources reported saying there was a 50% or better chance that the crew would return home in a SpaceX spacecraft, although it is unclear whether it would be Endeavor or another capsule that would fly to the ISS to rescue the astronauts.
Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams are helping the ISS crew with their tasks. NASA is expected to announce more details about the pair’s return in the coming weeks.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
