Two NASA astronauts who flew the new Starliner spacecraft in June unexpectedly enjoyed an extended stay in space.
While sensational headlines described the test pilots as “stuck” or “beached,” Boeing, the company that built the capsule, has assured the public that the crew is not in danger and does not need to be rescued.
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The astronauts don’t seem particularly impressed either.
“We’re having a great time here on the ISS,” one of them said during the duo’s first teleconference from the International Space Station on Wednesday. “It feels good to be floating around.”
Boeing has been working on the ship’s development for a long time, but this is the current status in a nutshell.
The Long, Troubled History of Boeing’s Starliner Spaceship
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on June 6, 2024.
Source: NASA
What is Starliner?
Starliner is a spacecraft Boeing built under a $4.2 billion NASA contract to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, which orbits 250 miles above Earth. Starliner launched for its first test flight with humans on June 5. Completing this flight is important for the ship to receive certification for regular operations.
After NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011, the agency had to go with the Russians to get its crews into space. Piggybacking on those rides from Kazakhstan cost the United States more than $86 million per ride, so the US space agency hired both SpaceX and Boeing to build spaceships, with the aim of setting up a commercial space taxi industry.
That was a decade ago. Although SpaceX has its Crew Dragon as a taxi for NASA since 2020, the agency never intended to put all of its eggs in Elon Musk‘s basket. Boeing’s Starliner, however, is still in the testing phase. Despite this, NASA says it still wants a second viable transportation option.
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Sunita “Suni” Williams (left) and Barry “Butch” Wilmore practice in a simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Photo: NASA / Robert Markowitz
Who are the astronauts flying the spacecraft?
Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, and Sunita “Suni” Williams, 58, will be Starliner’s initial crew. The spacecraft will eventually be able to carry four astronauts to the space station at a time.
They are both experienced astronauts. Wilmore, a former Navy fighter pilot and captain, spent six months in space on Expedition 41 in 2014 and STS-129 on the space shuttle Atlantis in 2009 before NASA appointed him to command Starliner. He has a wife and two daughters.
Williams is the first woman to pilot a new spacecraft. She is also a retired Navy captain with two space flights to her credit — Expeditions 14/15 in 2006 and 32/33 in 2012 — that together spent nearly a year in space. She has a husband and an elementary school named after her in Massachusetts.
Boeing Starliner pilot Suni Williams does a somersault after a televised press conference from the International Space Station with Boeing Starliner commander Butch Wilmore on July 10, 2024.
Credit: NASA / YouTube screenshot
Why aren’t the astronauts home yet?
Although the crew reached the space station on June 6, they encountered problems with Starliner’s propulsion system just before docking. The problems involved helium leaks and weak thrust, apparently caused by five of the 28 thrusters not functioning properly. The thrusters are necessary for steering and operating the ship in space.
The team has now reactivated four of the five failed thrusters. Boeing has continued testing to diagnose the problems and says Starliner has more than enough helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters, to get home.
Meanwhile, teams are conducting additional tests on an additional module on Earth to better understand the problems with the booster. These ground tests will attempt to replicate the firings needed for the ride back home. Because Starliner will ditch the module and burn it up in the atmosphere, engineers will not be able to check it after the mission.
Boeing’s Starliner approaches the International Space Station for docking on June 6, 2024.
Source: NASA
When will the crew return to Earth?
Wilmore and Williams were originally expected to stay in the space station for only eight days. Due to the problems, they stayed in space for an extra month.
So far, mission managers have not announced a return date as they work to resolve issues with the service module. Boeing leaders told reporters July 10 that the astronauts could return later this month. Ideally, the team would like the Starliner crew to depart before another group of astronauts arrives on a SpaceX flight in mid-August.
Despite sensational headlines calling the crew “stuck” and “stranded,” Boeing has vehemently denied the claims. They have insisted that the ship can fly the astronauts home safely at any time, such as for an emergency evacuation, but that now, before they leave and the service module is destroyed, it is critical to collect as much data as possible.
During an earlier test, an empty Boeing Starliner capsule landed in the New Mexico desert.
Source: NASA / Bill Ingalls
Where will Starliner land?
Don’t expect this spacecraft to crash into the ocean like SpaceX did with its Crew Dragon. Boeing plans to take Starliner to the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A system of parachutes and airbags will soften the capsule’s landing in the desert.