NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain aboard the International Space Station longer than planned as engineers address ongoing issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule. Originally scheduled to return in mid-June, the mission has been delayed due to thruster failures and helium leaks detected on the spacecraft.
Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, stated that mission managers are not yet ready to announce a return date. \"We'll come home when we're ready,\" Stich assured, highlighting NASA's commitment to astronaut safety.
The problems began on June 6 when five maneuvering thrusters failed shortly after Starliner’s liftoff. While four of these thrusters have been successfully reactivated, the root causes—degraded seals leading to helium leaks and thruster malfunctions—require further investigation. Engineers recently completed testing on a spare thruster in New Mexico and plan to gather more data by test-firing the capsule's thrusters while docked to the space station.
In the meantime, NASA is exploring backup options to ensure the astronauts' safe return. SpaceX's Dragon capsule remains a viable alternative, although recent issues with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets could impact upcoming crew flights.
The delay marks Boeing's first crewed mission with Starliner, following previous test flights in 2019 and 2022 that encountered their own set of challenges. As NASA continues to refine its commercial crew program, the resilience and adaptability of both NASA and its partners remain crucial for the future of space exploration.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
