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As Boeing currently faces an unprecedented public relations crisis, the two astronauts testing its new Starliner spacecraft are stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The crew was due to begin a return to Earth yesterday, but technical problems with the capsule delayed the maneuvers. NASA is conducting a thorough technical review before deciding on the date to repatriate the astronauts.
The Starliner capsule was launched on June 5 for a test flight from Cape Canaveral Station in Florida, with astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. However, a year late and $1.5 billion over budget, the mission experienced technical problems well before its launch, notably linked to the Starliner’s thrusters.
However, after two unsuccessful takeoffs (respectively on May 6 and May 1is June) and a small leak from the helium tanks, the launch was still carried out. Boeing officials had assured that the helium leaks and most of the propellant problems were stable and would not be a problem for the return mission.
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However, 4 new helium leaks occurred during the flight and 5 of the 28 thrusters failed during the approach and docking maneuver on the ISS. Although 4 thrusters were able to be restarted, the mission return date was postponed. While the mission was initially scheduled to last 8 days, NASA announced on June 18 that the capsule would be repatriated on June 26.
NASA also said the tank leaks did not pose a safety risk to astronauts. “ Only seven hours of free flight are required to complete a normal mission end, and Starliner currently has enough helium in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity after undocking “, the agency said in a blog post.
However, following a high-level meeting, the schedule was once again adjusted to postpone the return date until next month while engineers carry out a thorough technical investigation. Specifically, the possibility of the Starliner crew returning will be assessed after a spacewalk on July 2, meaning there is no exact date for the return yet. In the meantime, the crew has been stuck on board the ISS for almost a month.
A lack of verification for the sake of economy?
NASA and Boeing teams are currently assessing the potential impacts of 5 small leaks in the helium tanks on the mission. Based on the current leak rate, the ship would have enough margin to complete the return trip from the station. Furthermore, an oxidizer isolation valve (a chemical substance allowing the combustion of fuel) of the service module was not correctly locked and was rectified by the ground teams. All other oxidizer and fuel valves are functioning properly, according to engineers.
However, “we’re taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, referring to the return schedule adjustment.
We let the data guide our decision making regarding handling small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during docking “, he explains.
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On the other hand, some experts suspect that NASA and Boeing have not sufficiently considered these leak issues, probably for the sake of economy. “ I have a feeling they may not have taken enough into account the worsening leak post-launch “, declared to the BBC Adam Baker, director of Rocket Engineering. This would have been extremely costly, as it would have required removing the rocket from the launch pad along with the propulsion system for checks.
Stich nevertheless insists that Starliner functions properly while docked with the ISS. The additional mission time will, according to him, be used both for station activities and preparation for the return of the two astronauts. This would provide additional information on upgrading the ship for its upcoming certification missions. In addition, the crew is not limited in terms of time to leave the station, as there is plenty of resupply in orbit and the onboard mission program is open until mid-August.
Starliner is also allowed to undock and return to Earth in an emergency. Furthermore, if the spacecraft fails to meet all safety conditions, the astronauts could as a last resort return aboard one of SpaceX’s Dragon capsules, which is also currently docked with the ISS.
