Boeing’s first commercial spacecraft, the Starliner, remains on the International Space Station with no confirmed return date. Boeing is currently conducting damage control.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft on June 5 after a series of technical delays. They were supposed to stay in space for 8 to 10 days. However, 12 days after the crew’s arrival, Boeing postponed the ship’s return until June 26.
On Friday, another delay was announced. The company said it needed additional time to schedule two spacewalks and assess problems on board after five helium leaks. Boeing says the delays are not considered a mistake: «This is a test flight. The mission is still ongoing and it’s going well». A company spokesman said it has expanded the mission to collect more data on helium leaks.
The helium systems and engines are located in the spacecraft’s service module, which is ejected and burned in the atmosphere during landing, preventing fault analysis on Earth. The leaks have now been repaired and do not pose a threat to the astronauts’ return, and four of the ship’s five engines are operating normally.
Boeing says a new return date will be determined after the second spacewalk on July 2. The crew does not need to leave the station immediately: there are plenty of supplies in orbit, and the station’s schedule is relatively open until mid-August.
Source: Busines Insider
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