"Starliner" is still without a return date
Actually, the mission was supposed to last only a week. But now, the two astronauts have been in space for several weeks. Nobody is stranded in space, emphasized NASA in relation. However, the "Starliner" is still connected to the International Space Station.
The first crewed launch of the "Starliner" spacecraft took a long time to happen - it didn't return to Earth as planned initially. For a month now, two astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams, have been at the International Space Station ISS with the "Starliner," although they were supposed to stay only a week on the human outpost in 400 kilometers above Earth.
Week by week, they wait on the ISS for their return to Earth. The background is new problems after the launch from Cape Canaveral Spaceport in early June: The ISS could only dock the crisis-stricken spacecraft after problems with its engines in the second attempt.
Moreover, new helium leaks had occurred on the spacecraft - a leak had already been detected before the launch, but NASA assessed that it did not pose a danger for the flight. Therefore, tests with identical engines need to be conducted on the ground before the disengagement can be given the green light. The agency emphasizes: Nobody is stranded in space.
Inaccurate Alternative to Musk Spacecraft
The "Starliner" is a reusable spacecraft consisting of a roughly three-meter-high crew capsule and a service module. In contrast to the "Crew Dragon" from Elon Musk's company SpaceX, it does not land on water but on land.
It took off for its first crewed test flight on June 5 after years of delays. US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke of a "significant milestone" for manned spaceflight. The test flight had previously been postponed several times due to various technical problems with the spacecraft and rocket. There were also issues with a faulty ground computer system.
In May 2022, the "Starliner," developed and built by Boeing, had completed its first successful unmanned flight to the ISS and spent four days there. In the future, it is supposed to transport astronauts to the ISS as an alternative to the "Crew Dragon" spacecraft.
- Despite the initial plan for a week-long stay, the Starliner, a reusable spacecraft developed by Boeing, has been connected to the International Space Station for several weeks, with astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard.
- NASA and SpaceX, both key players in space exploration, have different approaches to returning spacecraft: while SpaceX's Crew Dragon lands on water, Boeing's Starliner is designed to land on land.
- As part of its mission to promote space education, NASA has been working closely with companies like SpaceX and Boeing, hoping that their successes in space travel will inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers.
