Introduction
The Boeing Starliner, a spacecraft designed to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), has encountered several issues leading to delays in its return. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are to remain in ISS(International Space Station) for a few more days because one out of five dysfunctional Thrusters is still not working properly. During the press conference Mark Nappi, the program manager for Starliner at Boeing said that we are not stuck on ISS. Steve Stitch, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Mission also tried to allay the fears. The crew was scheduled to return on 14 June which was later extended to 26 June
Background on Boeing Starliner
Developed by Boeing, the Starliner is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, aiming to provide reliable and safe transportation for astronauts. The spacecraft is designed for low Earth orbit missions and is intended to reduce the dependency on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Technical Problems Encountered
Despite its promising design, the Starliner has faced numerous technical challenges. Starliner experienced helium leaks but the management here says that it has enough Helium to return to the Earth and much more. The Starliner also faced Thruster issues during a June 6 docking with the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft is stable and able to leave the ISS in case of emergency, as told by Boeing and NASA management. But after testing the thrusters in space, NASA and Boeing said they want to take more time to understand the root cause Impact on Mission Schedule
What next
During livestream update by Steve Stitch , he told that a test campaign will start on July 2 at the white sands Test Facility for a review on Thrusters.
While the Boeing Starliner holds significant promise for advancing space travel, its journey has been fraught with challenges. The ongoing technical issues and resulting delays highlight the complexities of space exploration and the need for rigorous testing and quality control. As Boeing works to resolve these problems, the space community remains hopeful for a successful and reliable Starliner in the near future.