Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) climbed into “life rafts” to prepare for an emergency evacuation after a defunct Russian satellite broke into hundreds of pieces.
That includes Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft, which officials say could have reached Earth if debris had struck the ISS.
“We used Starliner as a safe haven,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
“(The astronauts) are now ready to board the spacecraft, power up the vehicle, close the hatch and execute the emergency unlock and landing (from the International Space Station).”
Boeing explains why astronauts will stay in space
Developed by Boeing as part of a public-private partnership with NASA, Starliner is scheduled to make its first crewed flight on June 5, 2024. (NASA/YouTube)
The June 5 launch of Starliner, carrying astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, marked Boeing’s first crewed mission to the ISS since 2014, when Boeing and NASA agreed to a $4.2 billion public-private partnership.
A helium leak from the propulsion system and a thruster failure turned a week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
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The Starliner is docked at the ISS and is collecting data to help engineers troubleshoot the problem.
Boeing said the helium leaks “are all stable and will not affect the return mission,” and that four of the five shut-down thrusters “are operating normally.”
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is in low Earth orbit ahead of its first manned crew mission to the International Space Station. (NASA/YouTube)
Starliner docking with the International Space Station. (NASA)
“I want to be very clear that Butch and Suni are not stranded in space,” Stich said Friday during a conference call with about two dozen news organizations. “Our plan is to continue to bring them home on Starliner and bring them back at the appropriate time.”
It is unclear when that will be.
Reporters peppered Boeing and NASA with questions about details of the plan to bring Williams and Wilmore home and disputed officials’ claims that while there is no timetable for a return flight, the astronauts are not being left behind.
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“We have a little more work to do before we can finally return,” Stitch said. “We’re in no rush to get back.”
NASA and Boeing reiterated that the astronauts are safe and “in good spirits,” and stressed that this is an opportunity to gather more data.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the Starliner before launch on June 5, 2024. (NASA/YouTube)
Preparations are underway for further testing on Earth: The thrusters have been taken to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, where testing could begin as early as Tuesday.
It’s expected to last “a few weeks,” Stich said, adding that that will determine the timeline for the astronauts’ return.
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“This is an opportunity to do detailed inspections on the ground and test the thrusters just like we did in space,” he said.
In a previous email to Fox News Digital, Boeing said it was essential to make the most of the time and gather as much data as possible, because the problematic service module, which is leaking helium and has a faulty thruster, will be discarded when the crew leaves the ISS.
It cannot be tested because it will burn up in the atmosphere during re-entry.
“The aurora streams beneath the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station rises 266 miles above the Indian Ocean, southwest of Australia,” according to NASA. (NASA/Matt Dominik)
Our mission and its importance
Boeing and SpaceX funded by Elon Musk These programs play a vital role in NASA’s CCP, allowing the agency to send astronauts and cargo to the ISS without relying on Russia.
The Chinese Communist Party was founded under former President Barack Obama in 2010, one year before NASA retired its space shuttle fleet after 30 years of operation.
The United States relies on Russia to transport cargo and astronauts to the ISS, spending about $90 million per astronaut per round trip.
In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX won NASA contracts after a lengthy competition, lowering the average cost per astronaut to just under $70 million.
Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon are very different rockets. (NASA)
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SpaceX has completed multiple successful crewed launches since its first launch in 2020.
Starliner’s June 5 launch was Boeing’s first crewed mission to the ISS, but a series of problems turned the week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
Officials stressed Friday that this was a “test flight” and that they had sufficient supplies. Williams and Wilmore said they were “in good spirits.”
