NASA was reassuring this Friday regarding the situation of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived three weeks ago aboard the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft. Despite the technical problems encountered by the capsule, the American space agency affirms that they are not “stranded” there.
A return constantly postponed due to technical anomalies
Initially, Butch Wilmore et Suni Williams were only expected to spend a little over a week in the orbiting laboratory. But their stay drags on due to Starliner issuesThe date of their return is constantly being pushed back, giving engineers time to analyze the data from the new tests in progress.
These tests focus in particular on the problems affecting thrusters of the capsule, which occurred when it was approaching the ISS to dock. Boeing will conduct ground tests on similar thrusters to simulate the space environment and better understand the origin of the malfunction. A process that should take around two weeks before a new return date can be set.
“Butch and Suni are not stuck in space” insists NASA
Faced with questions about a possible situation of “blockage” of the astronauts, Steve StichNASA’s top commercial flight official, made a point of clarifying things during a particularly tense press conference:
“Butch and Suni are not stuck in space. The return of the vehicle is not urgent, the crew is not in danger.”
Mark Nappi Boeing also hammered home this message, deploring a “rather negative” perception in the press of a test flight that has been very positive so far, according to him.
“We can bring Starliner in at any time,” he insisted. But we don’t yet understand the anomalies well enough to permanently correct them. So the only way to do this is to take the time necessary to collect more data”.
Other anomalies under study on Starliner
Beyond the thrusters, NASA and Boeing teams are still looking for the cause of helium leaks detected during the flight. If this non-flammable gas, used for the propulsion system, is in sufficient quantity to ensure return according to the agency, its origin must be elucidated.
This Starliner’s first manned mission, carried out years late, is crucial to obtain NASA certification and then launch regular rotations to the ISS. Until then, American astronauts will continue to reach the station using spaceships Crew Dragon of SpaceXoperational for 4 years now.
My name is Ethan, I’m 30 years old, and I’m the founder of this magazine. After studying journalism, I quickly decided to go freelance to be able to write as I wanted and talk about my true passions. I aim to create an information hub where French and international news is treated seriously and with insight. My goal is to illuminate the daily lives of my readers and encourage an in-depth understanding of current issues.
