NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still waiting at the International Space Station (ISS) due to ongoing problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The return trip has been delayed for the third time, and engineers are racing to fix multiple issues with the spacecraft.
Officials say there’s a 45-day window to bring the astronauts back. The Starliner is docked to the ISS’s Harmony module, which has limited fuel, making the return window tight.
Originally, Wilmore and Williams were set to return on June 13 after a week on the ISS. However, the Starliner encountered several problems, including five helium leaks and thruster failures.
Users on social media have been critical of Boeing, with some suggesting Elon Musk’s SpaceX might need to step in with its Dragon spacecraft.
“How terribly dangerous is Boeing’s Starliner? May need SpaceX to rescue its astronauts from ISS,” tweeted one user.
“Boeing Starliner literally falling apart in space right now,” wrote another.
Despite the concerns, space expert Jonathan McDowell said the situation might not be as dire as it seems. He noted that losing a few thrusters can be manageable since the system has many of them. However, he emphasized the importance of understanding these issues to ensure they don’t mask bigger problems.
During the 25-hour flight, engineers discovered five separate helium leaks and five thruster failures in the Starliner’s propulsion system.
“We’ve learned that our helium system is not performing as designed,” said Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Starliner program manager. “Although manageable, it’s still not working like we designed it. So we’ve got to figure that out.”
The cause of these problems remains unknown, and engineers are working to identify and fix the issues.
