Two Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) with no definite return date to Earth. Their return has been postponed several times due to various mechanical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, as reported by ABC News.
According to Steve Stich, manager of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, “We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process.” He further stated, “We are letting the data drive our decision-making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking.”
Wilmore and Williams were launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5 aboard the Starliner, which arrived at the ISS the following day.This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to determine if Boeing’s spacecraft can be certified for regular missions to and from the ISS.
Both Nasa and Boeing have assured that the crew is safe aboard the ISS, with ample supplies and a relatively open schedule through mid-August. Wilmore and Williams are currently “integrated” with the Expedition 71 crew, assisting with station operations and completing objectives necessary for NASA’s potential certification of Starliner.
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Starliner program, stated, “The crew’s feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews.”
The Starliner has encountered several issues even before its launch, with delays caused by an oxygen valve problem on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket and a small helium leak in the service module. After docking at the ISS for five days, Nasa and Boeing reported that the spacecraft was experiencing five “small” helium leaks, but they assured that sufficient helium was available for the return mission.
According to Steve Stich, manager of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, “We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process.” He further stated, “We are letting the data drive our decision-making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking.”
Wilmore and Williams were launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5 aboard the Starliner, which arrived at the ISS the following day.This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to determine if Boeing’s spacecraft can be certified for regular missions to and from the ISS.
Both Nasa and Boeing have assured that the crew is safe aboard the ISS, with ample supplies and a relatively open schedule through mid-August. Wilmore and Williams are currently “integrated” with the Expedition 71 crew, assisting with station operations and completing objectives necessary for NASA’s potential certification of Starliner.
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Starliner program, stated, “The crew’s feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews.”
The Starliner has encountered several issues even before its launch, with delays caused by an oxygen valve problem on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket and a small helium leak in the service module. After docking at the ISS for five days, Nasa and Boeing reported that the spacecraft was experiencing five “small” helium leaks, but they assured that sufficient helium was available for the return mission.
