The return to Earth of the two astronauts of the Starliner shuttle, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, has been postponed again. The two have been on the International Space Station for seven weeks, due to technical problems that emerged during the first crewed test flight. This is what emerged from the recent press conference held by NASA and Boeing to update on the status of the mission.
“We’re not ready to announce a reentry date yet,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial flight program manager. “After testing over the last couple of weeks, we’ve learned a lot and made a lot of progress, but we’re not ready to reentry yet.”
The thruster tests, performed at the White Sands Test Facility, reproduced the degradation observed during the flight. However, further investigation is needed, such as the test of 27 of the 28 thrusters for maneuvers scheduled for July 28 and 29, and the verification of the stability of the helium system.
Starliner and the time of the batteries
Stitch confirmed that Starliner’s battery life, initially planned for 45 days, has been extended to 90 days to ensure a longer window of opportunity that extends into September.
Despite the uncertainty, NASA and Boeing confirm that the primary goal is to return the two astronauts to Earth aboard Starliner. There are alternative plans, but no details about them have been released at this time.
What do you think about this situation? Are you confident in the success of the Starliner mission? Share your thoughts in the comments!
