Two astronauts are spending extra time at the International Space Station as NASA and Boeing troubleshoot capsule problems that popped up on the way there.
Business This photo provided by NASA shows the Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module of the International Space Station, orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast, on June 13, 2024. Three potential landing dates were called off and their flight home is now on hold.
The long-delayed test flight is the first with astronauts aboard. Boeing will eventually join SpaceX in ferrying crews to and from the space station for NASA.NASA wants more time to analyze problems in the spacecraft's propulsion system, which is used to maneuver in flight. The propulsion system is attached to the capsule, but it doesn’t come back to Earth for inspection. It is ditched during reentry and burns up.
The space agency also said it didn't want the departure to conflict with spacewalks. This week's spacewalk was called off after water leaked from an astronaut’s spacesuit while she was still inside the orbiting lab. Tuesday's spacewalk was still on the schedule.Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters went down during docking, as the capsule closed in on the space station. All but one thruster was restarted, and they worked during a later test firing, NASA said.
“So far, we don’t see any scenario where Starliner is not going to be able to bring Butch and Suni home,” Stich said last week.The capsule can remain at the space station for 45 days or longer if needed, Boeing said. In the meantime, mission managers continue to analyze the thruster trouble and helium leaks so they can resolve the problems before the next flight.
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