The two astronauts of Boeing Starliner are still in space

The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who traveled to the International Space Station on Boeing Starliner spacecraft, have been in space for 59 days. The test mission was supposed to last just a week. But there is yet to be a return date due to problems with the craft.

The Starliner’s propulsion system had a helium leak that the engineers were aware of before the spacecraft launched, but it wasn’t considered a risk. Five of its thrusters malfunctioned during docking with the ISS, causing further complications.

The astronauts were initially set to return to Earth on June 14.

While on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore have been helping with science experiments and other tasks. They join the seven other crew members, who include four NASA astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts.

The ISS has enough supplies and resources for everyone, says NASA. The agency is still deciding when the astronauts will return, with potential opportunities for landing in August.

What happened?
NASA and Boeing recently conducted a “hot fire test” to check the thrusters while the Starliner was docked at the ISS. This test involved firing 27 of the capsule’s 28 jets for short bursts to assess their performance. The initial results were promising, with all tested thrusters working well. The helium leak did not worsen.

Boeing’s Starliner mission was meant to show it could safely transport astronauts to and from the ISS, a crucial step before NASA can approve routine flights by the aviation giant.

However, the complications in the Starliner, coupled with almost a 7-year delay in its first launch, leave doubts about Boeing’s ability.

Meanwhile, SpaceX has been successfully flying astronauts to the ISS since 2020.