NASA released a photo showing Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore posing with Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Tracy Dyson in their spacesuits inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock on June 24, 2024.


June 29, 2024 Tags:

Two NASA astronauts will extend their stay aboard the International Space Station while engineers tackle issues with Boeing's new Starliner capsule encountered during its journey. The decision comes after delays in their return due to propulsion system glitches and helium leaks, which surfaced shortly after their June 5 launch. Despite these setbacks, NASA ensures the astronauts' safety and continues troubleshooting before setting a definitive return date.

The veteran NASA test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, embarked on the Starliner's maiden crewed mission, marking a significant milestone for Boeing after years of challenges. The test flight aimed for a brief stay to evaluate the capsule while docked at the space station. However, complications with the propulsion system prompted multiple delays in their scheduled return, as NASA and Boeing investigated the issues thoroughly.

One of the key concerns was to avoid conflicts with planned spacewalks by station astronauts, but a recent cancellation due to a spacesuit malfunction added to the mission's challenges. Despite encountering thruster failures during docking and subsequent helium leaks during flight, Boeing assured that these issues wouldn't affect the safe return of the astronauts.

Given the complexity of troubleshooting in space, NASA and Boeing decided to extend the astronauts' stay to gather more data on the thruster problems and leaks. These systems are crucial as they are part of the service module that supports the capsule during its mission and burns up during reentry.

Originally, NASA anticipated a maximum stay of 45 days for the Starliner due to battery constraints. However, ongoing in-flight tests have shown potential for extended mission durations, offering flexibility in resolving technical issues on the ground. Engineers are conducting detailed tests on the capsule's thrusters in New Mexico, aiming to replicate conditions encountered during the docking incident.

Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, emphasized that Wilmore and Williams are not stranded in space and assured that the Starliner is designed for missions lasting up to 210 days, providing ample flexibility for emergency scenarios at the space station.

Since the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, NASA has partnered with private companies like Boeing and Elon Musk's SpaceX to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has conducted nine successful missions for NASA since 2020, with NASA planning to alternate between SpaceX and Boeing for crewed missions in the future.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

You may also like

Gladiator’s Skeleton In York Shows Evidence Of Lion Combat

A fascinating discovery in York, England, has given researchers new insights into ancient Roman combat. Archaeologists have found a skeleton....

White House Reports Success At Canada-U.S. Border Amid Tariffs

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted the successes at the Canada-U.S. border during a briefing on Tuesday. She mentioned....

Record 7.3 Million Canadians Cast Votes In Advance Polls: Elections Canada

A new record was set in Canada as 7.3 million people cast their votes during the advance polls, according to....

Scientists discover rare signs of Earth's layers peeling beneath Sierra Nevada

Seismologist Deborah Kilb made an exciting discovery while analyzing earthquake data from California. While reviewing the past four decades of....

Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze

Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, aiming to stop a freeze on over $2.2 billion....

Canada’s Election Focus Shifts From Climate To Energy Plans

As Canada gets ready to vote on April 28, concerns about climate change have taken a back seat. This time,....

Canada’s Election Heats Up As Liberals Hold Narrow Lead

Canada’s federal election is entering its final week, and the race is now neck and neck. A new poll shows....

Trump May Cut Another $1 billion From Harvard Over Policy Dispute

The Trump administration plans to remove another $1 billion in federal funding from Harvard University. This decision comes as tensions....

Oldest American Astronaut Don Pettit Returns To Earth On 70th Birthday

Don Pettit, America’s oldest active astronaut, landed safely back on Earth on his 70th birthday. He traveled in a space....

Advance Voting Grows As Poilievre Slams Carney For Inflation

Canadians kept showing up at advance polls on Sunday, making the most of early voting. While people lined up to....

Record Turnout Across Canada At Advance Polls As Voters Flock To Cast Ballots Early

Advance voting in Canada’s 2025 federal election has reached historic levels. On Good Friday alone, over 2 million people cast....

Trump Says Tariffs Boost U.S. Wealth, Promises Trade Talks

President Donald Trump made it clear this week that he isn’t stepping away from his global tariff strategy. Despite growing....