NEW YORK (AP) — When two veteran NASA astronauts blasted off on a Boeing’s new capsule test driveThey are expected to return home from the International Space Station within a week or so.
It’s been three weeks now and it’s still going on. Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams While NASA and Boeing are working to fix the problems Equipment problems Which showed up on the way there.
Three potential landing dates were canceled and the return flight was suspended. Friday, officials said There is no rush to get them home. More tests will be done first.
“I want to make it clear that Butch and Sonny are not stuck in space,” said Steve Stich, director of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Stitch said astronauts could use the capsule if there was an emergency on the space station and they needed to escape quickly.
The long-awaited test flight is the first with astronauts on board. Boeing will eventually join SpaceX in ferrying crews to and from NASA’s space station.
Why was the Starliner’s return flight postponed?
When the return flight was postponed, NASA said it wanted more time to analyze problems with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, which is used for maneuvering in flight. The propulsion system was attached to the capsule, but it did not return to Earth for examination. It was jettisoned during reentry and burned.
The space agency also said it did not want the flight to interfere with spacewalking. But the spacewalk was canceled on Monday After water leaked from the astronaut’s suit While still inside the orbiting laboratory, the spacewalk scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until the end of July while the leak is investigated.
What problems are being investigated?
Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed during docking, as the capsule approached the space station. NASA said all but one of the thrusters were restarted and worked during a subsequent test launch. Officials suspect that the heat from all the thrusters’ movements during docking caused the shutdown. The single faulty thruster was turned off.
More propulsion tests will be conducted on the ground before a return date is set, Stitch said.
The capsule launched on June 5 with a small helium leak, but four more had appeared by the time it reached the space station. Helium is used to boost the fuel pressure of the thrusters, and the initial leak was suspected to be due to a defective rubber seal. Officials say there is an ample supply of helium, and Boeing says the leaks are stable and not a cause for concern.
“We understand these issues with safe return, but we don’t understand these issues well enough to fix them permanently,” said Boeing program manager Mark Nabi.
What then?
Stitch said it will take a few weeks to test the engine in the New Mexico desert. Initially, officials said the capsule could stay on the space station for 45 days due to onboard batteries, but they said on Friday that could be extended.
Wilmore and Williams have been contributing to chores and research on the space station, in addition to their duties checking Boeing capsule systems. Both have spent time on the space station. NASA said there are plenty of supplies on the space station for the duo and the seven long-term residents.
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