Following a questionable docking at the International Space Station, Boeing managed to deliver a pair of NASA astronauts to the orbital laboratory last week. The stressful Starliner saga continues as the crew capsule develops more leaks in the service module. NASA is currently evaluating its ability to return the duo to Earth.
In an update shared Monday, NASA said revealed that the Starliner teams assess the impact that five helium leaks would have on the remainder of the mission. “While Starliner is docked, all manifolds are closed during normal mission operations, preventing helium loss from the tanks,” the space agency wrote.
If you’ve been keeping track, there were three leaks on the Starliner spacecraft last time we checked. Starliner teams had also discovered two new leaks in the spacecraft after it launched on June 5 a helium leak detected before takeoff. The team took some time to assess the problem before launching the capsule, but ultimately Boeing and NASA decided to continue flying the crew on the leaking Starliner spacecraft without fixing the problem.
The spacecraft consists of a reusable crew capsule and a replaceable service module. Helium is used in the spacecraft’s thrust systems to allow the thrusters to fire without being flammable or toxic. “We can handle this particular leak even if the leak rate were to increase as much as 100 times,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said at a press conference before the Starliner launch.
Well, it’s getting there. Despite the leaks pointing to a larger problem with Starliner’s propulsion system, NASA remains confident in its commercial partner and is downplaying the spacecraft’s anomalies. “Engineers evaluated the helium supply based on current leak rates and determined that Starliner has sufficient margin to support the return journey from the station,” NASA wrote in its update. “Only seven hours of free flight time are required to conduct a normal end-of-mission mission, and Starliner currently has enough helium in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity after undocking.”
A ‘normal end of mission’ is crucial here, as Starliner struggled to dock with the ISS. Starliner missed its first docking opportunity at 12:15 p.m. ET due to technical issues, prompting NASA to target another docking window an hour later. Five of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed during the approach, and four were subsequently recovered. The capsule finally docked with the ISS at 1:34 PM ET on June 6.
While parked outside the ISS, engineers are also evaluating an RCS oxidation isolation valve in the service module that is not properly closed, according to NASA’s recent update. An RCS, or Reaction Control System, uses thrusters for attitude control and steering, while the oxidizer isolation valve controls the flow of oxidant, which is essential for burning fuel in the thrusters. Mission managers continue to work on the reentry plan, which includes assessments of the reasons for flight, fault tolerance and possible operational solutions for the remainder of the flight,” the space agency wrote.
Starliner is scheduled to undock from the orbital space station no earlier than June 18 Manned flight test is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and is intended to transport crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS) under a $4.3 billion contract with the space agency. NASA’s other commercial partner, SpaceX, has launched eight crews to the space station so far.
The spacecraft’s first crewed flight was intended to usher in regular trips to the ISS, but NASA may require Starliner to undergo some repairs before the capsule is approved for normal use.
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