New fiasco: US Astronauts stuck in space as Boeing’s Starliner fails on 1st crewed flight, after 7 yr delay

Suni and Butch to spend at least a week stuck on the Space Station as NASA struggles to fix the thrusters and leaks on their Starliner.

from thefreeonline 20 Jun, 2024 11:37 from Agencies

Suni and Butch in blue, Floating about. The Space Station is packed , with at least 9 astronauts in one photo

The two NASA astronauts are stranded aboard the International Space Station as their spacecraft, a Boeing Starliner, continues to ‘experience multiple technical difficulties’.

Now the US may have to suffer more space humiliation and ask their Russian enemies to return Suni and Butch to Earth on their reliable Soyuz craft or else on the Space X, also now docked on the ICC, if the Starliner cannot be remotely repaired.

September 2022.. Disaster: New Boeing Starliner failure! It was a frustrating disappointment in 2022 for commander “Butch” Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams, who were in the process of strapping in for launch when the scrub was announced. The moment brought to mind one of Wilmore’s favorite sayings: “You’d rather be on the ground wishing you were in space than in space and wishing you were on the ground.” Now in 2024 he’s really Trapped in Space

There is some justifiable doubt whether NASA can fix the craft remotely, as they have been unable to make it flight-worthy on Earth during 7 years! The 2 astronauts were meant to stay for only one week on the 1st crewed flight..

During a press conference on Tuesday, NASA and Boeing announced that the two Americans – Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore – will not be coming back to Earth before June 26 at least, as experts are struggling to fix the spacecraft.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams The long, thorny history of Boeing’s Starliner spaceship – MSN – Way back in 2014 Boeing got $4.2 BILLION to develop a “commercial crew” transportation system. It was too embarrassing to have to always depend on the Russians.

10 years later, after unbelievable farcical delays and a $1.4 billion cost overrun the maiden trip set off, only to have at least 4 helium leaks and thruster problems, and leave its 2 US astronauts STRANDED on the Space Station awaiting repairs.

Incredibly Starliner’s first flight carrying astronauts was actually targeted for a launch seven years ago. About two years later, in December 2019, Boeing was at last ready to send an empty Starliner up to the Space station but new faults set back the date again and again until 2024.

Why the legacy company has struggled endlessly with the spacecraft isn’t all that clear. Comparisons have surged with the ongoing safety plague on Boeing Jets with various whistleblowers denouncing a culture of safety shortcuts to boost profits.

However in the ongoing Starliner debacle saving money can hardly be the reason. Answers from Boeing leaders have been at times stunningly opaque.

Suni enjoys waving to home from the Space Station

It’s been quite a scenario starting in 2019 with software failures that caused the thrusters to fire so long it didn’t have enough gas to get to the space station.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner initially registered several mechanical issues during its maiden manned launch on June 6.

En route to the station, the crew reported problems with five thrusters and four helium leaks, and another leak was revealed soon thereafter.

Prior to the flight, the company also stated that the spacecraft already had a “small helium leak” but insisted it was not a critical “safety of flight issue” and could be managed.

“A little bit more time” – but they’re already 7 years late!

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich explained on Tuesday that the reason for the hold up was the agency’s desire “to give our teams a little bit more time to look at the data, do some analysis, and make sure we’re really ready to come home.”

see also – Boeing’s first crewed spaceflight to take off despite defect

Stitch also insisted that NASA doesn’t currently foresee a scenario in which the two astronauts would not be able to come home on the Starliner. The return trip is currently scheduled for June 26, when the crew will attempt to land in the White Sands area of New Mexico. If that proves impossible, then the next “prime opportunity” would be a week later on July 2.

Despite the extended delay, NASA’s Dana Weigel, who manages the agency’s ISS program, said the crew is feeling positive. Boeing’s vice president and program manager for the Commercial Crew Program, Mark Nappi, has also said the crew was taking advantage of the extra time and saw the situation as an “opportunity” to do more work.