Nasa on Thursday said that it will continue evaluating the performance of Starliner‘s propulsion system in collaboration with Boeing before the shuttle‘s return from the International Space Station (ISS).
The space agency and the aerospace company did not provide an updated date for the return, which was previously rescheduled to June 26 following a delay from the initial prospective date of June 14.
The return of the Boeing Starliner to Earth from the ISS was further delayed by Nasa last week. The spacecraft, which is carrying its inaugural crew of astronauts, will remain in orbit to provide additional time for the review of technical issues encountered during the mission.
US astronauts “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” 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.
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.
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.
Nasa’s objective is for the Starliner to become a second US spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS, operating alongside SpaceX‘s Crew Dragon, which has been the primary means of transportation since 2020.
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.
(With inputs from agencies)
The space agency and the aerospace company did not provide an updated date for the return, which was previously rescheduled to June 26 following a delay from the initial prospective date of June 14.
The return of the Boeing Starliner to Earth from the ISS was further delayed by Nasa last week. The spacecraft, which is carrying its inaugural crew of astronauts, will remain in orbit to provide additional time for the review of technical issues encountered during the mission.
US astronauts “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” 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.
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.
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.
Nasa’s objective is for the Starliner to become a second US spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS, operating alongside SpaceX‘s Crew Dragon, which has been the primary means of transportation since 2020.
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.
(With inputs from agencies)