The two astronauts who arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) three weeks ago aboard Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft are not “stuck” there, NASA assured Friday. The date of the capsule’s return to Earth continues to be pushed back.
It depends on the analysis of new tests, which notably concern the problems encountered in flight on the capsule’s thrusters as it approached the space station to dock there.
Ground tests on similar thrusters will be carried out to recreate the space environment and better understand the cause of the problem. They should last about two weeks. A return date will only be set after their completion.
“Butch and Suni are not stuck in space,” NASA official Steve Stich said at an unusually tense news conference. There is “no rush” for the rover’s return, he added.
One week initially planned
The two astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were initially scheduled to spend just over a week in the flying laboratory. The departure postponements have led the American press to wonder whether the astronauts currently found themselves without a means of return.
They’re not stuck on the ISS. The crew is not in danger,’ insisted Mark Nappi, senior manager at Boeing. ‘It’s quite painful to read the things that are circulating. We’ve had a very good test flight so far and it’s being perceived in a rather negative way,’ he complained.
“We can bring Starliner back at any time,” he insisted. But “we don’t understand well enough [les soucis rencontrés, ndlr] to repair them permanently. So the only way to do it is to take the time and collect more data.
In addition to the thrusters, another anomaly affects Starliner, the new vehicle ordered 10 years ago by NASA to serve as a space taxi transporting its astronauts to the ISS: helium leaks detected in flight. The American space agency and Boeing are still looking for the cause.
Helium is not flammable, but is used for the propulsion system. The spacecraft still has enough helium to re-enter, according to the space agency.
This mission, led by Boeing years behind schedule, is Starliner’s first with a crew. It is necessary for the capsule to obtain NASA certification and then be able to begin regular operations.
In the meantime, NASA astronauts have already been reaching the ISS on SpaceX ships for four years.
/ATS
