NASA Delays Boeing Starliner Return; New Date TBD

Boeing Starliner's return to Earth was initially scheduled for June 26.

Boston Brand Media discovered the trending news: NASA announced on Friday that Boeing Starliner's return to Earth from the International Space Station with its first crew of astronauts has been postponed. The space agency did not provide a new date, raising concerns about when the mission's two astronauts will return. Additional testing and technical issues have caused further delays. The return was originally scheduled for June 26.

The U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who lifted off on June 5 for a final demonstration mission, face delays in their return as NASA and Boeing address multiple technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

This mission, crucial for obtaining routine flight certification from NASA, has encountered significant setbacks. The Starliner, which has been test-flown twice since 2019 without a crew, has faced five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters, five helium leaks, and a slow-moving propellant valve, indicating unresolved issues from previous tests.

These complications and the subsequent tests required by NASA and Boeing have raised doubts about the timeline for the astronauts' return. These challenges add to the broader issues Boeing faces with the Starliner program, which has already incurred $1.5 billion in cost overruns on top of its $4.5 billion NASA development contract.

NASA aims for Starliner to become the second U.S. spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS, alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which has been in use since 2020. However, Boeing's Starliner program has struggled with software glitches, design problems, and subcontractor disputes over the years.

When Starliner arrived near the space station to dock on June 6, the thruster failures prevented a close approach until Boeing could implement a fix. The company rewrote software and adjusted procedures to revive four thrusters, allowing the docking to proceed.

The undocking and return to Earth represent the most complicated phases of Starliner's test mission. NASA officials have emphasized the need to understand the cause of the thruster failures, valve issue, and helium leaks before the spacecraft embarks on its roughly six-hour return journey.

Currently, only one thruster remains non-functional in Starliner's flight. However, Boeing encountered four thruster problems during the capsule's uncrewed return in 2022. According to flight rules established by Boeing and NASA, Starliner's maneuvering thrusters must ensure "6-degrees of freedom of control," each with a backup thruster, as confirmed by a NASA spokesperson.

This means at least 12 of the 28 thrusters, most of which are backups, are necessary for a safe flight. Potentially fewer could suffice, provided the remaining thrusters have backups and can operate together without restricting Starliner's freedom of movement in space.

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Source: NDTV‍