The spacecraft has experienced numerous leaks and technical problems. NASA says it is using the extra time to evaluate whether it can safely return.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Earlier this month, two astronauts traveled to the International Space Station aboard a brand new Boeing spacecraft.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Five, four, three, two, one, ignition…
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: …And the launch of Starliner and Atlas V.
FADEL: Their flight was supposed to last about a week, but problems with the Boeing spaceship delayed their return. That has led to speculation that the astronauts are stuck aboard the space station. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel joins us to discuss what’s going on. Hi.
GEOFF BRUMFIEL, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: Good morning. So, Geoff, I guess the first question is, are these two astronauts actually stranded?
BRUMFIEL: Not according to Boeing. In fact, in the statement that they sent to NPR, they said in the first line, quote, “The astronauts are not stranded on the International Space Station,” and that’s their emphasis, not mine. However, Boeing’s email also said that they don’t have a return date at this time, so I think we would call this flight delayed.
FADEL: OK. So they emphasize that they are not stranded. What’s the problem with the spaceship?
BRUMFIEL: Well, as we heard above, it’s called Starliner. It’s basically an updated capsule that harkens back a bit to the days of the Apollo program or Gemini, if you remember. And so this is something that Boeing should be able to solve. It’s not that complicated. But there has been problem after problem for years, even before this launch – problems with computers, problems with the parachutes used to land.
Eventually they launched and two more problems surfaced. First, there were multiple leaks in a helium system that is part of the spacecraft’s maneuvering system.
FADEL: Oh.
BRUMFIEL: And then there were separate problems with the thrusters, which are also used to return to Earth. Boeing says this is a test flight. They say all this prevents this spacecraft from returning when necessary. But NASA has remained very quiet about the whole thing. They haven’t said anything publicly since a week ago. They are continuing their safety analysis and they say they will provide an update later today. So maybe we’ll hear their thoughts then.
FADEL: OK. Geoff, Boeing has had numerous problems with its planes. Are they related to problems with the spaceship?
BRUMFIEL: You know, a lot of people think that. I spoke to Ron Epstein. He’s an analyst at Bank of America who’s been following Boeing for decades. He says this is a real cultural problem at the company right now.
RON EPSTEIN: You have management teams that for a number of years have focused more on shareholder returns than on the core business of the company, the technology.
BRUMFIEL: Whether it’s passenger planes or spacecraft, these safety issues keep coming back. And it seems like this is something that could really hurt Boeing in the long run.
FADEL: Okay. Returning to the situation in space: do we know how these two astronauts will survive there?
BRUMFIEL: Well, these aren’t just any astronauts. Their names are Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They’re veterans of the space program, and they’re both former Navy test pilots. These two cucumbers are pretty cool. So they’ve done some interviews from the station. And they haven’t talked about it directly, but they’ve talked in general terms about being up there. Here’s Suni Williams.
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SUNI WILLIAMS: Life on Earth is truly the best thing that ever happened, and we’ll be happy to go back home when it’s our time to go back home.
BRUMFIEL: You know, they had a pretty good view up there. I think they’re just trying to enjoy it while they can. And NASA will get them home one way or another. They have other spacecraft they can use. They have other ways to get Wilmore and Williams home if they really decide the Starliner isn’t safe to fly.
FADEL: Geoff Brumfiel from NPR. Thank you, Geoff.
BRUMFIEL: Thank you very much.
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