Nasa says it is close to announcing when it will bring home two astronauts who have been “stuck” in orbit for more than two months. ongoing technical problems with Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, but admits he hasn’t figured out exactly how yet.
The space agency’s latest update on the difficult test mission on Wednesday revealed that managers expect to make a final decision either late next week or early the week after, after ground engineers complete an evaluation of Starliner’s faulty propulsion system .
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been aboard the International Space Station for nearly 70 days, nearly 10 times longer than the test flight was originally expected to last, while engineers troubleshoot reaction control thrusters that failed during Starliner’s failure. first docking attempt on June 6.
Nasa said it still hoped to return them to Earth aboard Starliner, but admitted the clock was ticking on a decision that could see the craft returned without a crew, forcing the astronauts into the to remain in space until next February when they will come home on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
“It becomes much more difficult. We are reaching a point where [by] that we should really make a call last week in August, if not earlier,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s space operations directorate, said at a lunchtime press conference.
“Butch and Suni are well engaged on the space station. It’s great to be there, enjoying the surroundings, eating that amazing space food and being able to look out the window. So I know they’re making the most of this time, but I’m sure they’re eager for a decision just like the rest of us.”
The lead astronaut, Joe Acaba, said he often spoke with the astronauts about the prospect of a prolonged stay.
“If Butch and Suni don’t come home on Starliner and they’re kept aboard the station, they’ll have about eight months in orbit,” he said.
“We are fortunate to be at a time in human spaceflight where we have regular resupply missions, which allow the crews aboard the station to receive any extra supplies they may need.”
Notably, no Boeing representative was present at the media briefing, fueling further speculation of a wedge between the space agency and its commercial partner about this and other collaborations.
Boeing engineers are believed to be convinced that Starliner is safe to bring its crew home now, while Nasa, which lost 14 astronauts in two space shuttle disasters in 1986 and 2003, is understandably more cautious.
“I’m not surprised that the Boeing team is 100% behind their vehicle, that’s what we want from them,” said Bowersox.
“But I can also tell you they want to work with us in a partnership. When we come to a decision, we will work through it together.”
Nasa executives emphasized that Starliner, which launched on June 5 seven years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, is still designated as an escape vehicle for the crew in the event of an emergency.
But its ongoing problems are an embarrassment for Boeing, which has experienced numerous of late safety and quality issues in its aerospace division, and a setback for Nasa’s plan to rely on Starliner as an additional crew transport to lower Earth orbit to SpaceX’s Dragon.
Asked whether the agency would consider an unmanned return of Starliner a failure, Russ DeLoach, head of NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, appeared to shift the blame for such a scenario onto Boeing.
“If we step in and make the call to change the mission, that the crew will go home on something other than Starliner, we don’t have to consider it a NASA accident,” he said.
