When two experienced NASA astronauts went to a Test drive of Boeing’s recent capsuleThey expected to return home from the International Space Station in about per week.
Three weeks have now passed and it continues Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams while NASA and Boeing fix the issues Device problems that appeared on the best way there.
Three possible landing dates were canceled and her return flight was placed on hold. On Friday, officials said there isn’t any rush to bring them home and further tests will likely be carried out first.
“I want to make it very clear that Butch and Suni are not stranded in space,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s industrial crew program manager.
Stich said the astronauts could use the capsule if there was an emergency on the space station and so they needed to flee quickly.
The long-delayed test flight is the primary with astronauts on board. Boeing will eventually join SpaceX in transporting crews to and from the space station for NASA.
Why was the Starliner’s return journey postponed?
When the return flight was postponed, NASA said it wanted more time to research problems within the spacecraft’s propulsion system, which is used for in-flight maneuvers. The propulsion system is attached to the capsule but doesn’t return to Earth for inspection. It is jettisoned and burns up during reentry.
The space agency also said it didn’t want the launch to clash with spacewalks. However, Monday’s spacewalk was canceled. after water leaked from an astronaut’s spacesuit while it was still within the orbiting laboratory. A spacewalk scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until late July while the leak is investigated.
What problems are being investigated?
Five of the capsule’s 28 engines failed during docking because the capsule approached the space station. All but certainly one of the engines restarted and worked during a later test run, NASA said. Authorities suspect heat from engine activity during docking caused the shutdown. The one defective engine was shut down.
Stich said further engine tests will likely be conducted on the bottom before a return date is about.
The capsule launched on June 5 with a small helium leak, but by the point it reached the space station, 4 more leaks had occurred. Helium is used to pressurize fuel for the engines, and the primary leak was suspected to be brought on by a faulty rubber seal. Officials say there’s sufficient helium, and Boeing says the leaks are stable and never a cause for concern.
“We understand these issues for a safe return,” said Mark Nappi, a program manager at Boeing. “However, we do not understand these issues well enough to fix them permanently.”
What’s next?
Stich said the engine tests within the New Mexico desert would take a number of weeks. Officials had originally said the capsule could stay on the space station for 45 days due to batteries on board, but said Friday that deadline may very well be prolonged.
Wilmore and Williams helped with chores and research on the space station, in addition to checking the Boeing capsule’s systems. Both have been on the space station before. According to NASA, the space station had loads of supplies for the couple and their seven long-term residents.
