Already more than a month late getting back, two NASA astronauts will remain at the International Space Station until engineers finish working on problems plaguing their Boeing capsule, officials said Thursday.
Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to visit the orbiting lab for about a week and return in mid-June, but thruster failures and helium leaks on Boeing’s new Starliner capsule prompted NASA and Boeing to keep them up longer.
NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said mission managers were not ready to announce a return date.
“We’ll come home when we’re ready,” said Stich, adding that the goal is to bring Wilmore and Williams back aboard Starliner.
Stich acknowledged that backup options are under review.
Engineers last week completed testing on a spare thruster in the New Mexico desert and will rip it apart to try to understand what went wrong during docking. Five thrusters failed as the capsule approached the space station on June 6, a day after liftoff. Four have since been reactivated.
It appeared degraded seals are to blame for the helium leaks and thruster problems, but more analysis is needed. The team will test-fire the thrusters this weekend while docked to the space station to gather more data, said Boeing’s Mark Nappi.
After the space shuttles retired, NASA hired private companies for astronaut rides to the space station, paying Boeing and SpaceX billions of dollars.
This was the Boeing’s first test flight with a crew aboard. SpaceX has been ferrying astronauts since 2020.
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NASA has not set a return date for astronauts aboard Boeing capsule at space station
NASA has announced that they have not yet set a return date for the astronauts aboard the Boeing Starliner capsule currently docked at the International Space Station. This news comes after the spacecraft experienced a series of technical issues that have delayed its planned return to Earth.
The Starliner capsule, which was launched on a test flight to the ISS in August, was originally scheduled to return to Earth on September 5th. However, a problem with the spacecraft’s propulsion system caused NASA to delay the return mission. Since then, engineers have been working to resolve the issue and ensure the safe return of the astronauts on board.
NASA has stated that they are taking a cautious approach to the situation and want to make sure that all necessary precautions are taken before bringing the astronauts back to Earth. The agency is working closely with Boeing to address the technical issues and ensure that the spacecraft is ready for a successful return mission.
In the meantime, the astronauts aboard the ISS are continuing their work and conducting experiments as planned. NASA has assured that they have more than enough supplies on board to support the crew until a return date is set for the Starliner capsule.
This delay highlights the complexities and challenges of space travel, and the importance of thorough testing and preparation before any mission. NASA is committed to ensuring the safety of all astronauts aboard their spacecraft, and will continue to work diligently to resolve any issues that may arise.
As of now, there is no set date for the return of the astronauts aboard the Boeing Starliner capsule. NASA will provide updates as more information becomes available and will ensure that all necessary precautions are taken before bringing the astronauts back to Earth.
