The pair flew into space aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, testing it as its first human passengers, on June 5. They were supposed to stay at the station for eight days, then return home so NASA could certify the spacecraft and begin operating it. regularly.
However, shortly after reaching space, the Boeing spacecraft began to malfunction. They’ve been on the ISS ever since, while NASA and Boeing troubleshoot and insist astronauts are “not trapped.”
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, in which Williams and Wilmore flew, docked at the space station 262 miles above Egypt. NASA
In a brief call with reporters Wednesday, Williams and Wilmore finally shared their thoughts on the situation and described what it was like to realize something was wrong with their spacecraft.
Williams took a flip in the microgravity of the space station and Wilmore gave the thumbs up as the press call ended. NASA TV
What astronauts experienced flying in a shiny spaceship
“The launch was spectacular. I mean, really amazing,” Wilmore said.
The astronauts were pushed back into their seats as the rocket roared through the atmosphere, then experienced the relief of microgravity as the Starliner slid into orbit.
Then, in space, they began checking the spacecraft’s operational capabilities, and it “performed extremely well,” Wilmore said.
Astronauts use a scale of 1 (best) to 10 (worst) to rate the handling qualities of the spacecraft. Wilmore said he’s never been given a 1 rating before, “but I was tempted.”
He added, “It was really amazing, the accuracy that this spacecraft maintained” — until the second day of the mission.
As they approached the space station, one of Starliner’s 28 Feedback Control System (RCS) thrusters suddenly shut down. Then another went offline.
Starliner is approaching the space station for docking in June. NASA
“You could tell the drive, the control, the handling was degraded. The handling qualities weren’t the same,” Wilmore said.
Astronauts took manual control for more than an hour while ground crews were troubleshooting. After all, five RCS thrusters were suddenly shut down. They got some pushback, Wilmore said, but things weren’t the same.
“From that point on, you could tell the thrust was degraded,” though they didn’t know why at the time, Wilmore said.
However, when it came time to dock with the space station, where there was only a few inches of room for error, the spacecraft got the job done.
“The Starliner went right down — in auto mode at this point — right in the middle, even with the thrusters degraded, which was really impressive knowing what we know now,” Wilmore said.
What’s wrong with Boeing’s spacecraft
NASA has also discovered five leaks in Starliner’s helium supply, which is used to pressurize its propulsion system.
NASA is working to understand all the issues on the spacecraft and get more data to ensure the return trip is safe. Engineers are testing an RCS thruster at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, trying to replicate unexpected problems that occurred mid-flight and ensure the thrusters will perform well on the return trip.
Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams have been busy working on experiments and station maintenance with other astronauts on the space station.
“We’ve been completely busy up here integrated right into the crew,” Williams said. “About once a week we go into the Starliner and talk to our control team there and work through all the nuances that they’re working hard on the ground.”
Boeing continues to lag behind
NASA wants Boeing to put the Starliner through extensive testing to detect issues like these. In addition to ground testing, the spacecraft was to fly an uncrewed mission to the space station.
The first attempt never reached the space station and suffered multiple failures, but eventually, in a subsequent attempt without a crew, the Starliner reached the ISS.
This crewed mission with Williams and Wilmore is supposed to be the final test to certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut missions, and the astronauts are expected to discover some imperfections.
Leaks and propellant failures are the latest of many issues Boeing has faced with its spacecraft over the years, which has left it far behind competitor SpaceX.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon was developed on a similar timeline through the same NASA program as Starliner, but it completed NASA testing and certification in 2020. It has been flying people to and from the space station ever since.
It is not yet clear how the new issues will affect Boeing’s ability to get its spacecraft into regular rotation with the space station. Still, Wilmore and Williams expressed confidence.
“We’re really excited about putting more people on the spacecraft once we get back and work through all the issues we’ve already found,” Williams said.