When two veteran NASA astronauts blasted off on a test drive of Boeing’s new capsule, they expected to return home from the International Space Station in about a week.
Now it’s three weeks and counting for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as NASA and Boeing fix equipment problems that arose on the way there.
Three potential landing dates have been canceled and his flight home is now on hold.
This week, Boeing said the Starliner capsule issues are not a concern for the return trip and that “astronauts are not stranded.”
The long-delayed test flight is the first with astronauts on board. Boeing will eventually join SpaceX in ferrying crews to and from the space station for NASA.
A look at what’s behind the extended stay:
Why was Starliner’s return trip postponed?
NASA wants more time to analyze problems in the spacecraft’s propulsion system, which is used to maneuver in flight.
The propulsion system is attached to the capsule, but does not return to Earth for inspection. It is abandoned during reentry and burns up.
“We’re just taking a little bit more time to review all the data and also learn everything we can while we have this service module in orbit,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said at a news conference. press last week. before the last postponement.
The space agency also said it did not want the departure to conflict with spacewalks.
This week’s spacewalk was canceled after water leaked from an astronaut’s spacesuit while she was still inside the orbiting laboratory.
Tuesday’s spacewalk was still scheduled.
What are the problems being investigated?
Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters shut down during docking, as the capsule approached the space station. All but one of the boosters were restarted and ran during a subsequent test firing, NASA said.
Officials suspect that the heat from all the thruster action during docking caused the shutdown.
The single faulty booster has been shut down and is not a problem for the return trip, Boeing said.
The capsule launched on June 5 with a small helium leak, but four more leaks emerged when it arrived at the space station. Helium is used to pressurize the propellant fuel and a faulty rubber seal was suspected in the initial leak.
Officials say there is ample supply of helium and Boeing says the leaks are stable and not a cause for concern.
“So far, we don’t see any scenario where Starliner couldn’t bring Butch and Suni home,” Stich said last week.
Whats Next?
Boeing and NASA say they will consider landing dates once spacewalks are complete.
The capsule can remain at the space station for 45 days or more if necessary, Boeing said.
Meanwhile, mission managers continue to analyze propellant issues and helium leaks so they can resolve the issues before the next flight.
Wilmore and Williams have been helping with housework and research on the space station, in addition to their Boeing capsule systems checkout duties.
NASA said there is no rush for them to leave and that there are plenty of supplies for the couple and the space station’s seven residents.
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