Space travel - Astronauts from Starliner space capsule "stranded" in space? This is what Nasa says
In light of technical issues and delays with the first crewed mission of Boeing's Starliner capsule, NASA has seen fit to reassure the public with calming words. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) with the Starliner capsule for about three weeks, are "not stranded in space," said Steve Stich, head of NASA's commercial crew program, during a press conference on Friday (local time).
Instead, the two "have enjoyed their time on the Space Station," Stich assured. NASA still plans to "bring them back on board the Starliner and bring them home at the right time." Mark Nappi, Boeing's second-in-command, said it was "painful" to read the negative things being written about the Starliner mission. "We had a very good test flight that has been successful so far, and it is being viewed negatively," he criticized.
NASA Flight started in early June to ISS
The crewed Starliner flight to the ISS had been delayed for years and had been aborted twice before takeoff. It finally launched on May 5, 2023, and docked at the ISS the following day. Originally, Wilmore and Williams were supposed to spend about a week on the station. However, their return flight was repeatedly delayed due to issues with the Starliner's thrusters and several helium leaks.
Ground personnel must now conduct further tests to determine the causes of the problems. A test of the thrusters could begin as early as Tuesday and is expected to last at least two weeks.
Some of the thrusters required for precise maneuvering did not turn on during docking with the ISS, causing a delay in the docking process. The responsible engineers do not know why the computer control did not select some thrusters, even though all but one were able to start.
The first helium leak on the Starliner capsule occurred before its launch to the ISS. It was considered insignificant and did not endanger the mission. However, further leaks occurred during the flight.
Boeing under pressure
Technical issues are not uncommon with new spacecraft. Technical problems also occurred in the early days of NASA's Space Shuttle program.
However, the Starliner program from Boeing is under direct comparison with SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft from the private US space company. Both Boeing and SpaceX received several billion dollars from NASA in 2014 to develop transport capabilities to the ISS. SpaceX was successful in 2020 and has since brought dozens of crew members to the ISS.
Despite the challenges with Boeing's Starliner capsule, NASA remains hopeful for its future in space travel. The ISS crew, consisting of Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, have continued their mission despite the thruster and helium leak issues, demonstrating the resilience of space travel with companies like Boeing.
