NASA astronauts aboard Boeing’s Starliner said the liftoff was “spectacular,” but the spacecraft suffered a series of problems during the second day of the mission.
There was a helium leak in the propulsion system and “the control and capability of the thrusters was degraded,” said NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, who spoke to the media from space Wednesday for the first time since the June 5 liftoff.
He stood by his fellow Starliner flight crew, astronaut Suni Williams, during Wednesday’s video press conference from inside the International Space Station, where the shuttle has been docked for the past month.
“We’ve gone through a lot of simulations of this spacecraft going through all kinds of iterations and failures, and I think where we are now and what we know now … I feel confident,” Williams said. “I have a really good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft will bring us home without any problems.”
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NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were the flight crew on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which is recovering from a series of problems. (NASA)
There were initially fears that the astronauts were stranded in space, but Boeing and NASA officials stressed that Wilmore and Williams are safe and “in good spirits.”
At the end of the 30-minute press conference, Williams was doing backflips while Wilmore laughed.
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The questions were more serious, but both astronauts expressed their confidence in being able to return home safely.
Wilmore alluded to the missing Russian satellite that exploded about two weeks ago near the space station and said they were on the Starliner, ready to make an emergency exit if necessary.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during NASA live photography of their liftoff on June 5, 2024. (NASA)
Astronaut Suni Williams does backflips as astronaut Butch Wilmore laughs and gives a thumbs up. (NASA)
Wilmore said hiccups are expected during the mission, saying, “This is the test world. This is a tough business.”
“Human spaceflight is not easy in any regime, and there have been numerous problems with every spacecraft that’s ever been designed, and that’s just the nature of what we do,” Wilmore said. “You know that mantra, ‘Failure is not an option.’
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“That’s why we’re staying here now. We had a degradation in our propellants, and we know that. And that’s why we’re staying, because we’re going to test it.”
“We will get the data we need to help inform our decisions so we can make the right decisions.”
Boeing’s Starliner capsule in low orbit before arriving at the International Space Station for the first time with a manned crew. (NASA/YouTube)
Starliner docks at the International Space Station. (NASA)
Its mission and importance
Boeing and SpaceX funded by Elon Musk programs are key players in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which would allow NASA to send astronauts and cargo to the space station without relying on Russia.
CCP began under former President Obama in 2010, a year before NASA retired the spacecraft after 30 years.
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To get cargo and astronauts to the space station, the US has relied on Russia, spending about $90 million per astronaut for each round trip.
In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts to NASA after a lengthy competition, bringing the average cost down to under $70 million per astronaut.
Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon are very different rockets. (NASA)
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SpaceX has had multiple successful manned launches since its inception in 2020.
Starliner’s June 5 launch was the first Boeing-manned expedition to the space station.