Boeing succeeded in getting NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, following weeks of delays.
Returning them to Earth on the same spacecraft is proving another challenge.
Problems with leaks and thrusters emerged after Boeing’s Starliner vehicle launched this month with the astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. Officials from the aerospace company and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Tuesday that the astronauts are slated to return June 26.
“We’re taking a little bit of extra time to work through what we’ve seen and make sure we have all the plans in place to bring the crew home,” Steve Stich, a NASA program manager, said Tuesday.
The space station has at least four months of reserves for food and other consumable items for astronauts on board, NASA officials have said. Starliner could stay docked at the station for a total of 45 days, though ultimately it aims to stay there for six-month missions, they said.
Extended stays at ISS have happened before. In September, the NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned to Earth after spending more than a year at the facility, a record-breaking flight for an American. His return was delayed after a micrometeorite poked a hole in his Russian-made return vehicle and Russia sent up another ship.
Starliner is able to ferry crew members to Earth in an emergency situation, Stich said.
He added that teams want to analyze Starliner and its technical challenges as much as possible while it is at the station.
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"SpaceX has flown cargo to the space station for years and completed its inaugural astronaut mission for NASA in 2020."
This makes no sense to me...let Space-X bring them home safely, their already certified. . Starliner is fully capable of returning unmanned where testing can be continued, without danger to the crew..
It was surreal to watch the launch with multiple delays leading up to it as the commentators for NASA, Boeing and ULA all emphasized safety innumerable times throughout the broadcast. It is a bit like an ailing auto manufacturer emphasizing quality when their transmissions continually fail.
@CrummyThrushePatriot2yrs2Y
Here's a quote:
“We’re taking extra time given that this is a crewed vehicle, we want to make sure that we haven’t left any stone unturned,” Stich said. “We also want to look at the systems and potential interaction between the systems and make sure we haven’t missed something before we return.
My problem with this statement is that this same quote can be applied for the past 4 years trying to certify this spacecraft. I can't see NASA having the confidence to let this pass, but what do I know.
Imagine the embarrassment of having Starlink save the Starliner crew. NASA must be worried about the thrusters as a delay will worsen the seriousness of the helium leaks.
If you're a congressman, which do you support?
Boeing/Lockheed:
Five years later than scheduled
$30 billion cost--over $20 billion in cost overruns
$2 billion cost per launch.
Horribly unreliable.
Can only launch 1 or maybe 2 per year
SpaceX:
Two years later than scheduled
$2.5 billion cost--met their budget
$200 million per launch initially-->$20 million per launch now
Completely reliable
Launched 100 rockets last year, 70% of all global rocket launches
How can a congressman support Boeing/Lockheed, even if they do provide jobs in his district?
At least the door is still attached.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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