Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams two astronauts of NASA find themselves in unexpected situation. These two astronauts were scheduled to return to the Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 14.
However, their return journey was postponed due to errors in the Starliner spacecraft. To date, it’s not fixed when they will return home. Their journey has been postponed many times because of helium leaks in Starliner spacecraft.
Butch and Suni were launched with Starliner on June 5 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, which was part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Spacecraft launched, despite small helium leaks.
Helium Leaks
Helium is mainly used for propelling spacecraft thrusters which help in docking spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Also, helps in the return journey by slowing down the speed of the spacecraft for soft landing.
During launch and docking four more helium leaks were discovered on Starliner. Now a total of 5 leaks are there on the spacecraft affecting five of the 28 maneuvering thrusters. This mission aimed to test whether Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft could be certified for routine missions to and from the ISS.
Postponed Mission
The mission was originally planned for only eight days, but as the helium leaks were announced by engineers, the return date was pushed back. On June 18, NASA announced that Starliner would begin its return journey on June 26 at 22:00 EST (03:00 BST on June 27)
However, just days after several high-level meetings NASA rescheduled the return date in mid-July. The main aim of the delay is to examine the spacecraft before entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Flight engineers will thoroughly examine the Starliner and will report the issues. Despite the delays, Butch and Suni these two astronauts are well-supplied and integrated with the Expedition 71 crew aboard the ISS.
Vice president of Boeing’s Starliner program, Mark Nappi, highlights the importance of learning from this situation. In addition, he said that this crew Flight Test will inform future missions, ensuring the safety and success of upcoming crews.
NASA’s agency-level review will guide the next steps. The sequence of events raises questions about whether the launch should have proceeded despite the initial helium leak. For now, the astronauts are safe in the ISS, and awaiting their safe return home.
About Starliner
Boeing Starliner CST is developed in collaboration with the NASA Commercial Crew Program for missions to low-Earth orbit. CST stands for Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft. The maximum capacity of the CST-100 Starliner is seven passengers or a mix of crew and cargo.
It has a weldless structure and can be reused 10 times. The main highlight is the pusher abort system that provides safe crew escape throughout the launch and ascent phase of the mission.
Along with wireless internet and advanced tablet technology helps in communication and also will help in docking to the ISS.
