Boeing’s problematic Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to start its return to Earth on Friday evening, leaving behind the two NASA astronauts it carried to the International Space Station three months ago.
It will crash onto White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico six hours after it undocks from the station. In the event of inclement weather or technical difficulties, Starliner’s return is scheduled for September 10, September 14, or September 18.
NASA officials said that despite extensive investigation and ground testing, they were still unsure of the exact source of the propulsion system issues that Starliner encountered in June as it neared the space station.
Officials from NASA and Boeing have stated that they anticipate the empty Starliner’s return journey to be uneventful. Furthermore, they insist that the two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose stays on the space station have been extended, could have most likely still been returned safely by the spacecraft.
During a press conference on Wednesday, NASA’s manager of the commercial crew program, Steve Stich, stated, “We have confidence in the vehicle.” He mentioned that Starliner had made a successful landing on unmanned test flights in the past.
“We’ve had two good landings with Starliner so far, and we’re expecting another one Friday,” Mr. Stich stated.
Nevertheless, persistent anxiety prompted managers to choose for what they saw as the safer course of action: keeping Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore aboard the space station for an additional five months, and having them return in February aboard the Crew Dragon, a spacecraft manufactured by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rival company.
NASA’s Dana Weigel, program manager for the space station, stated that both Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore had trained for a lengthier assignment that involved using the robotic arm and conducting spacewalks.
According to Ms. Weigel, “We had them well prepared to move into this role.”
Starliner will use its thrusters to retreat after undocking and then pass above the space station. The move was modified from what the astronauts would have performed if they had been on board. Mr. Stich remarked, “It’s a quicker way away from station, way less stress on the thrusters.”
The deviation makes use of brief thruster pulses, which are less likely to result in the heating that is thought to have decreased the 28 tiny thrusters’ June performance. Helium leaks occurred as well; helium is an inert gas that is utilized to propellant. However, it still contains a lot more helium than is required for the journey back.
The main movement involves the spaceship losing orbit due to the larger thrusters firing. The spacecraft’s smaller thrusters—including the ones that failed during docking—are responsible for maintaining its heading.
Although the smaller thrusters are a backup for taking the spaceship out of orbit in case the larger thrusters malfunction, the larger thrusters have not experienced any issues thus far.
What will happen to the Starliner program after the landing is still up in the air. The mission in June, which was the first to carry astronauts, was meant to be the last in NASA’s certification procedure before Starliner could start making yearly flights to the space station.
NASA may ask Boeing to do an additional crewed flight test. After nearly instantaneous mechanical issues with Starliner’s first launch in December 2019, the business decided to repeat a crewless flight test.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated last month at a press conference that Kelly Ortberg, the company’s new CEO, had given him assurances that Boeing will carry on its Starliner project.
But Boeing would have to pay a heavy price for it. Boeing inked a $4.2 billion contract with NASA in 2014. The contract stipulated preset sums for reaching benchmarks such as certification, and the business is not paid until it satisfies those requirements. In contrast to many conventional so-called cost-plus contracts, the agreement with the government requires Boeing to bear the cost of overruns and delays.
Boeing has already deducted $1.6 billion from its Starliner program expenses.