Boeing’s crew spacecraft, Starliner, will stay docked with the International Space Station (ISS) into August, NASA confirmed on Thursday. The mission, which is currently on hold, awaits further study of issues that emerged early in the flight.
The Starliner capsule “Calypso,” which transported NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS, has now been in space for over 50 days. This Boeing crew flight test has been extended multiple times while NASA conducts necessary tests on the ground before approving the spacecraft for its return to Earth.
NASA’s Commercial Crew manager Steve Stich mentioned during a press conference that the agency is not ready to set a specific return date yet. “We’re making great progress, but we’re just not quite ready to do that,” Stich stated. A crucial review is planned for the first week of August, after which NASA will decide on the return schedule for Starliner.
The extension of Starliner’s flight test is unique due to the developmental nature of the mission. Originally, the spacecraft was expected to spend a minimum of nine days in space before returning. “I think we all knew that it was going to go longer than that,” remarked Boeing’s Mark Nappi, vice president of the Starliner program. “We didn’t spend a lot of time talking about how much longer, but I think it’s my regret that we didn’t just say we’re going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to go to do.”
Both NASA and Boeing have emphasized that astronauts Wilmore and Williams “are not stranded in space.” Officials have previously assured that Starliner is safe for return in an emergency. In the meantime, the astronauts are utilizing their extended stay by assisting the ISS crew with various tasks.
Boeing and NASA are addressing the spacecraft’s malfunctioning propulsion system, testing it at White Sands, New Mexico. Stich and Nappi outlined the necessary steps before determining Starliner’s return. Boeing is completing the dissection of the thruster tested in New Mexico, and NASA and Boeing are planning docked test firings over the weekend. Following the tests, the teams will perform an integrated assessment of the data and educate NASA leadership before the final review, known as the “Agency Flight Test Readiness Review.”
NASA has contingency plans in place if Starliner cannot return with the astronauts, including the possibility of using SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. However, Stich emphasized that the current focus is on bringing Wilmore and Williams home on Starliner.
“We know a little bit of what those are, and we haven’t worked on them a whole bunch, but we kind of know what those are,” Stich said. “Right now we’re really focused on bringing Butch and Suni home on Starliner.”
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