Two astronauts are trapped in space because Boeing’s Starliner cannot make the return trip to Earth.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams took off on June 5 on the first Starliner mission in orbit carrying astronauts.
After docking at International Space Station (ISS)NASA astronauts had to remain in orbit for eight days.
However the space The capsule has had five helium leaks, five dead maneuvering thrusters and one thruster valve that failed to close completely.
POT has rescheduled the planned return three times and now has no set date for it, although internally at the agency, the latest planned date for Starliner’s return is July 6, according to an anonymous source who spoke to the Reuters news agency. .
That return date would mean the two astronauts would be in space for a month, instead of just over a week.
Current problems center on Starliner’s expendable propulsion system, which is necessary to propel the capsule away from the ISS and position it to plunge through Earth’s atmosphere.
Many of Starliner’s boosters have overheated when fired and leaks of helium, used to pressurize the boosters, appear to be related to how often they are used, according to NASA commercial crew director Steve Stich.
So what are Butch and Suni doing up there?
The Starliner commander and pilot, who is the first female test pilot of an orbital spacecraft, spent Tuesday inside making sure the space plumbing works.
The duo replaced the pressure control and motor for the pump assembly that holds the space station’s main bathroom, according to NASA’s ISS blog.
On Friday they spent the day testing systems inside the Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (left) and Suni Williams (right) before liftoff. Photo: AP
How else can they return to Earth?
Starliner can remain docked at the ISS for up to 45 days, according to Stich.
But if absolutely necessary, it could remain docked for up to 72 days, depending on various backup systems.
If Starliner is deemed unable to return astronauts to Earth safely, one option would be to send them home on board. from SpaceX Crew Dragon, which transported four astronauts to the station in March and can accommodate more people in an emergency.
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That scenario, considered unlikely, would be embarrassing for Boeing.
But NASA and Boeing officials, as well as engineers familiar with the program, told Reuters that nothing about Starliner’s current problems indicates this would be necessary.
Why is your mission so important?
The capsule is a critical alternative to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is currently the only shuttle for American, European, Canadian and Japanese astronauts to and from the ISS.
In 2014, NASA tasked SpaceX and Boeing with developing a commercial crew capsule, but while SpaceX began transporting astronauts in 2020, Boeing’s spacecraft has been mired in difficulties.
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Planned launches last year were canceled due to overheating batteries, the discovery that protective tape around wiring was flammable and potentially catastrophic problems with the parachute system used for the capsule’s return to Earth.
Boeing’s losses on the Starliner program are believed to be around $1.5bn (£1.2bn).
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