NASA and Boeing officers pushed again Friday on headlines that the business Starliner crew capsule is stranded on the Worldwide Area Station however mentioned they want extra time to investigate information earlier than formally clearing the spacecraft for undocking and reentry.
Two NASA astronauts, commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, will spend at the least just a few extra weeks on the house station as engineers on the bottom conduct thruster assessments to raised perceive points with the Starliner propulsion system in orbit. Wilmore and Williams launched June 5 aboard an Atlas V rocket and docked on the station the subsequent day, finishing the primary phase of Starliner’s first take a look at flight with astronauts.
NASA managers initially deliberate for the Starliner spacecraft to stay docked on the house station for at the least eight days, though they left open the opportunity of a mission extension. The take a look at flight is now more likely to final at the least a month and a half, and maybe longer, as engineers wrestle with helium leaks and thruster glitches on Starliner’s service module.
Batteries on this Starliner spacecraft had been initially solely licensed for a 45-day mission period, however NASA officers mentioned they’re taking a look at extending the restrict after confirming the batteries are functioning effectively.
“We’ve the posh of time,” mentioned Ken Bowersox, affiliate administrator for NASA’s house operations mission directorate. “We’re nonetheless in the course of a take a look at mission. We’re nonetheless urgent ahead.”
Beforehand, NASA and Boeing officers delayed Starliner’s reentry and touchdown from mid-June, then from June 26, and now they’ve bypassed a possible touchdown alternative in early July. Final week, NASA mentioned in a press release that the company’s high management will meet to formally evaluate the readiness of Starliner for reentry, one thing that wasn’t a part of the unique plan.
“We’re not caught on ISS”
Steve Stich, supervisor of NASA’s business crew program, mentioned Friday that he needed to clear up “misunderstandings” that led to headlines claiming the Starliner spacecraft was caught or stranded on the house station.
“I wish to make it very clear that Butch and Suni are usually not stranded in house,” Stich mentioned. “Our plan is to proceed to return them on Starliner and return them house on the proper time. We’ve a bit bit extra work to do to get there for the ultimate return, however they’re secure on (the) house station.”
With Starliner docked, the house station presently hosts three completely different crew spacecraft, together with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Russia’s Soyuz. There aren’t any critical plans into account to deliver Wilmore and Williams house on a distinct spacecraft.
“Clearly, we’ve got the posh of getting a number of automobiles, and we work contingency plans for plenty of completely different circumstances, however proper now, we’re actually targeted on returning Butch and Suni on Starliner,” Stich mentioned.
“We’re not caught on the ISS,” mentioned Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice chairman answerable for the Starliner program. “It is fairly painful to learn the issues which might be on the market. We have gotten a very good take a look at flight that is been completed up to now, and it is being seen relatively negatively.”
Stich mentioned NASA officers ought to have “extra frequent interplay” with reporters to fill in gaps of knowledge on the Starliner take a look at flight. NASA’s written updates are usually not all the time well timed, and infrequently lack particulars and context.
NASA officers have cleared the Starliner spacecraft for an emergency return to Earth if astronauts must evacuate the house station for security or medical causes. However NASA hasn’t but permitted Starliner for reentry and touchdown below “nominal” situations.
“When it’s a contingency scenario, we’re able to put the crew on the spacecraft and produce them house as a lifeboat,” Bowersox mentioned. “For the nominal entry, we wish to take a look at the information extra earlier than we make the ultimate name to place the crew aboard the automobile, and it is a critical sufficient name that we’ll deliver the senior administration staff collectively (for approval).”
