After helium leaks and problems with the thrusters of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, NASA is pushing back the return date from the International Space Station.
On Friday, the agency announced that it no longer has a planned return date. Instead, they will continue to test the capsule, try to understand its problems and see if they can make any fixes. There are plenty of supplies on the station, so there is no need to bring two astronauts back to Earth.
NASA has decided to cancel the scheduled departure on Wednesday, June 26 due to conflicting schedules with a series of planned spacewalks to the ISS, which were set for today (Monday, June 24) and Tuesday, July 2. The delay also allows mission teams to check propulsion and system data.
After years of delays and two recent launch attempts, the Starliner finally lifted off on June 5, 2024, with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board.
Although two of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed during the flight, the spacecraft managed to reach the ISS and deliver 227 kg (500 lb) of cargo. In addition, five small leaks were also detected on the service module and crew and ground teams were conducting safety checks.
“We’re taking our time and following a standard mission management team,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, in a post on the NASA blog.
“We are letting the data guide our decision-making regarding the management of small helium system leaks and thruster performance that we observed during rendezvous and docking. Additionally, given the length of the mission, it is appropriate that we complete an agency-level review similar to what was done prior to reentry NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 after two months in orbit to document the agency’s formal approval to proceed as planned.”
This first crewed flight of the Starliner was intended to validate the spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), with the hope that it will work with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to regularly deliver cargo and crew to the ISS.
This mission is the second time the Starliner has flown to the ISS and the third flight test overall. During the first unmanned flight test (OFT-1) in December 2019, the Starliner successfully launched but failed to reach the ISS.
After performing 61 NASA-recommended corrective actions, another attempt (OFT-2) was conducted on May 22, 2022. This flight successfully docked with the ISS and remained there for four days before detaching and landing at the White Sands Range in New Mexico. .
Wilmore and Williams are now working with the Expedition 71 crew, assisting with station operations as needed and completing additional in-flight objectives for NASA certification of the Starliner.
Stich said that despite all the problems, the Starliner is doing well in orbit while attached to the space station.
“We’re strategically using the extra time to clear the way for some critical station activities while completing preparations for Butch and Suni’s return to Starliner,” he said, “and gain valuable insight into the system upgrades we’ll want to make after certification. mission.”
Mission managers will evaluate future return options for Starliner, and NASA said they will hold a media teleconference with mission management after a readiness review.
NASA added that the Starliner is actually cleared for an emergency return to the space station, which would require the crew to leave orbit and return to Earth.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.