Two astronauts who were supposed to return to Earth weeks ago expressed confidence on Wednesday in Boeing’s space capsule’s ability to safely transport them back despite several issues.
NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first to ride Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, launched early last month.
Their mission faced complications such as helium leaks and thruster failures, which nearly prevented their arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) and extended their stay much longer than planned.
Five thrusters failed as the Starliner approached the ISS on June 6, a day after liftoff. Four of these have since been reactivated.
Wilmore believes there are enough functioning thrusters to deorbit the capsule, with larger backup engines available if necessary.
NASA officials now estimate that the earliest possible return date for the astronauts could be the end of July.
Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program director, mentioned that the goal is to have the astronauts back before SpaceX delivers a new crew in mid-August, although this timeline is subject to change. The test flight was planned for eight days, concluding on June 14.
This mission marks the first crewed flight for Starliner, which was once considered a rival to SpaceX’s Dragon. Over the past four years, it has completed 12 crewed trips to the ISS.
However, due to various setbacks and delays, Starliner has become a secondary option for NASA, with SpaceX and Boeing intending to alternate astronaut flights.
The Starliner crew flight test is crucial for NASA certifying Boeing to conduct operational, six-month missions, potentially starting as early as February.
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