NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams are currently orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS), having exceeded their scheduled return by two weeks. They continue their mission onboard the ISS while Boeing and NASA engineers address helium leaks in the Starliner spacecraft.
The Starliner, which faced multiple delays before its June 5 launch, encountered thruster problems on its way to the ISS, alongside helium leaks. Despite these issues, NASA reported that the spacecraft has been functioning effectively while docked at the space station, reports Newsweek.
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The space agency clarified that Wilmore and Williams are not “stranded” because they have the ability to undock and return home whenever required. Their extended stay in orbit beyond the originally planned return date is to provide mission teams with ample time to review data from the propulsion system.
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The Starliner is capable of remaining docked to the space station for up to 45 days.
“We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, was quoted as saying in the report. “We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance.”
Wilmore and Williams were initially scheduled to return to Earth via the Starliner on June 22. This date was postponed to June 26 and subsequently delayed again on Friday, with the new return date yet to be determined.
It took three attempts for the Starliner’s first crewed mission to launch. This project aims to offer an alternative means for astronauts and cargo to reach orbit, complementing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon program. However, it has faced significant delays and engineering challenges over the years.
