Two NASA astronauts who flew the new Starliner spacecraft in June had an unexpectedly extended stay in space.
While headlines have referred to the test pilots as “stuck” or “trapped”, Boeing – the company that built the capsule – has assured the public that the crew are in no danger and need no rescue.
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The astronauts don’t seem too confused either.
“We’re having a great time here on the ISS,” one said during the pair’s first teleconference from the International Space Station on Wednesday. “It feels good to float around.”
Boeing has had a long delay in developing the shuttle, but here’s the current situation in a nutshell.
The long and storied history of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station on June 6, 2024.
Credit: NASA
What is Starliner?
The Starliner is a Boeing spacecraft built under a $4.2 billion NASA contract to transport astronauts back and forth to the International Space Station, which orbits 250 miles above Earth. The Starliner began its first test flight carrying people on June 5. Completion of this flight is important for the vessel to obtain certification for regular operations.
After NASA retired the space shuttle in 2011, the agency had to tag along with the Russians to get its crew into space. Making those trips from Kazakhstan cost the United States more 86 million dollars for travel, so the US space agency hired SpaceX and Boeing to build spacecraft, with the goal of creating a commercial space taxi industry.
That was a decade ago. Although SpaceX has run it Crew Dragon As a taxi for NASA since 2020, the agency did not intend to have all its eggs Elon Muskbasket of However, Boeing’s Starliner remains in the testing phase. Regardless, NASA says it still wants a second possible transport option.
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Sunita “Suni” Williams, left, and Barry “Butch” Wilmore practice in a simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz
Who are the astronauts piloting the ship?
Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, and Sunita “Suni” Williams, 58, are the Starliner’s first crew, although the spacecraft may eventually carry four astronauts to the space station at a time.
They are both veteran astronauts. Wilmore, formerly a fighter pilot and Navy captain, spent six months in space for Expedition 41 in 2014 and STS-129 for space shuttle Atlantis in 2009 before NASA appointed him to command Starliner. He has a wife and two daughters.
Williams is the first woman to pilot a new orbital spacecraft. She’s also a retired Navy captain with two spaceflights under her belt — Expeditions 14/15 in 2006 and 32/33 in 2012 — totaling close to a year in space. She has a husband, along with an elementary school named after her in Massachusetts.
Boeing Starliner pilot Suni Williams takes a turn after a televised press conference from the International Space Station with Boeing Starliner commander Butch Wilmore on July 10, 2024.
Credit: NASA / image from YouTube
Why haven’t the astronauts come home yet?
Although the crew reached the space station on June 6, they encountered problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system just before the ship docked. Problems included helium leaks and poor thrust, apparently as a result of five of the 28 thrusters malfunctioning. Thrusters are necessary for the control and handling of the spacecraft in space.
The team has since reactivated four of the five faulty thrusters. Boeing has continued to run tests to try to diagnose the problems and says the Starliner has more than enough helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters, to return home.
Meanwhile, the teams are conducting additional tests on an additional module on Earth to better understand the thruster issues. These ground tests will attempt to replicate the shots required for the trip home. Because Starliner will eject the module, leaving it to burn up in the atmosphere, engineers won’t be able to check it after the mission.
Boeing’s Starliner approaches the International Space Station for docking on June 6, 2024.
Credit: NASA
When will the crew return to Earth?
Originally, Wilmore and Williams were expected to stay on the space station for just eight days. Due to problems, they stayed in orbit for an extra month.
So far, mission managers have not announced a return date as they work out problems with the service module. Boeing executives told reporters on July 10 that the astronauts could return later this month. Ideally, the team would like the Starliner crew to leave before another batch of astronauts arrives in mid-August on a SpaceX flight.
Despite sensational headlines calling the crew “stuck” and “stuck”, Boeing has steadfastly disputed the claims. They have insisted that the spacecraft can fly the astronauts home safely at any time, such as for an emergency evacuation, but that getting as much data as possible now, before they launch and the service module is destroyed, it is necessary.
An empty Boeing Starliner capsule landed in the New Mexico desert during an earlier test.
Credit: NASA / Bill Ingalls
Where will the Starliner land?
Don’t expect to see this spacecraft fly into the ocean like SpaceX does with its Crew Dragon. Boeing plans to bring the Starliner home to the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A system of parachutes and air bags will soften the capsule’s landing in the desert.