According to reports, Boeing’s spacecraft may need rescue from Elon Musk’s SpaceX program, which has not yet publicly asked for help.
Aerospace and defense company Boeing plans to launch its Starliner spacecraft in early June 2024, deliver the spacecraft and its crew to the International Space Station, and return them within two weeks. It’s already been eight weeks since the spacecraft was launched.
At the time of the launch, NASA officials reportedly said crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams would be able to return to Earth on June 14, just eight days after launch.
“Our first choice is to complete the mission.”
Also, around that time, Zero Hedge He noted that this was in fact the third attempt to launch a Boeing CST-100 Starliner: the first attempt was aborted due to a leak, and another launch a month later was delayed by several days due to an alleged computer glitch.
Starliner apparently suffered a helium leak and a thruster failure on its journey to the space station, but officials downplayed them as minor hiccups.
Mark Nappi, vice president and manager of Boeing’s commercial crew program, said these issues are “really small issues to address.” Ars Technical.
“We’ll resolve these before the next mission. We don’t see these as significant issues at all,” Nappi added at a press conference after the docking.
After the test, NASA officials declined to say whether they would seek outside help if Starliner’s thrusters prove not reliable enough for a return.
“Our first option is to complete the mission,” said NASA program manager Steve Stich. “There are many reasons to complete this mission and return Butch and Suni aboard Starliner, which was designed as a spacecraft, with a crew in the cockpit.”
However, a purported insider source told Ars Technica that there’s a better than 50/50 chance that the Starliner crew will return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
When asked about the possibility, NASA spokesman Josh Finch told the outlet, “NASA is considering all options to return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as safely as possible from the International Space Station. No decisions have been made and NASA will continue to provide updates on its plans.”
It’s all but confirmed that a plan involving SpaceX is in the works, but NASA recently blog “We continue to prepare for undocking by participating in integrated simulations with the space station operations team,” he said.
“Following the completion of Starliner’s return planning, which is expected to continue into next week, further information will be shared on the agency’s preparations for the return readiness review. [in the] A media briefing followed.
At the same time, SpaceX is reportedly testing a scenario to accommodate two additional crew members on the Crew Dragon’s return to Earth, and has already identified flight suits to fit the two Boeing astronauts.
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