This photo provided by NASA shows the Starliner spacecraft attached to the International Space Station’s Harmony module, orbiting 262 miles above Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, June 13, 2024. Credit: NASA via AP
Two NASA astronauts will stay longer on the International Space Station while engineers troubleshoot problems on Boeing’s new space capsule, which appeared on its way there.
On Friday, NASA did not set a date for the return until testing on the ground was complete and said the astronauts were safe.
“We’re never in a rush to get home,” said NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich.
Veteran NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off June 5 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule to an orbiting laboratory. It was the first astronaut launch for Boeing after years of delays and setbacks.
The test flight was expected to last about a week, enough time for Wilmore and Williams to inspect the capsule while docked at the station. But problems with the capsule’s propulsion system, which is used to maneuver the spacecraft, prompted NASA and Boeing to delay the flight home several times while they analyzed the problems.
They also wanted to avoid conflicting with the outputs of space astronauts. But this week’s spacewalk was canceled after water leaked from the astronaut’s space suit. The problem was not resolved and next week’s planned spacewalk was postponed.
As the Starliner approached the space station the day after launch, a last-minute thrust failure nearly derailed the docking station. Five of the 28 jets collapsed during docking; all but one of the jets were restarted.
In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, center, pose with Expedition 71 flight engineers Mike Barratt (left) and NASA astronauts Tracy Dyson in their spacesuits aboard the International Space Station’s Quest airlock on the 24th. June 2024. Credit: NASA via AP
The Starliner already had one small helium leak when it went into orbit, and several more leaks occurred during the flight. Helium is used to pressurize the fuel for the jets. Boeing said this week that the two problems were not related to the return trip.
In delaying the astronauts’ return, NASA and Boeing said they needed more time to gather information about thruster problems and leaks while the capsule was docked. Both are in the service pod, a unit attached to the capsule that burns up on reentry.
NASA initially said the Starliner could remain docked at the space station for up to 45 days due to battery limits. But flight tests showed the limit could be extended, Stich said.
Officials said they would not set a return date while they conduct ground tests of the rocket engines in the New Mexico desert, which were expected to last several weeks. They want to try to replicate the situation that occurred during the docking.
“I want to be very clear that Butch and Suni are not stuck in space,” Stich said, adding that the Starliner is designed for a mission of up to 210 days.
In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore (left) and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the lobby between the front port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024. Credit: NASA via AP
Stich said astronauts could return to Earth in the Starliner in the event of a space station emergency.
After the shuttle fleet retired, NASA turned the astronaut rides over to private companies. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made nine taxi flights for NASA since 2020. NASA plans to shuttle crews between SpaceX and Boeing to and from the space station.
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