Why are NASA astronauts delayed at the space station after Boeing Starliner launch?

When two veteran NASA astronauts took off for a test drive of Boeing’s new capsule, they expected to return home from the International Space Station within a week or so.

It’s now three weeks and the countdown continues for Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams as NASA and Boeing troubleshoot equipment problems that cropped up on the way there.

Three potential landings have been canceled and the return flight has been suspended. On Friday, officials said there was no rush to bring them home and more testing would be done first.

“I want to make it clear that Butch and Sonny are not stuck in space,” said Steve Stich, director of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Astronauts could use the capsule if there was an emergency on the space station and they needed to escape quickly, Stitch said.

The long-awaited test flight is the first to carry astronauts, and Boeing will eventually join SpaceX in ferrying crews to and from the space station for NASA.

Why was the Starliner’s return flight postponed?

When the return flight was postponed, NASA said it wanted more time to analyze problems with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, which is used to maneuver in flight. The propulsion system was attached to the capsule, but it never returned to Earth for inspection. It was jettisoned during reentry and burned up.

The space agency said it did not want the departure date to interfere with spacewalking. But the spacewalk scheduled for Monday was canceled after an astronaut’s suit leaked while inside the orbiting laboratory. A spacewalk scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until the end of July while the leak is investigated.

What problems are being investigated?

F

Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed during docking as the capsule approached the space station. NASA said all but one of the thrusters were restarted and worked during a later test launch. Officials suspect that heat generated by all the thrusters during docking caused the shutdown. The one that failed has been shut down.

More propulsion tests will be conducted on the ground before a return date is set, Stitch said.

The capsule launched on June 5 with a small helium leak, but four more leaks developed by the time it reached the space station. Helium is used to compress fuel in the thrusters, and a faulty rubber seal is suspected in the initial leak. Officials say there is an adequate supply of helium, and Boeing says the leaks are stable and not a cause for concern.

“We understand these issues around safe return, but we don’t understand these issues well enough to fix them permanently,” Boeing program manager Mark Nappi said.

What then?

Stitch said it will take a few weeks to test the engine in the New Mexico desert. Initially, officials said the capsule could stay on the space station for 45 days due to onboard batteries, but they said Friday that could be extended.

Willmauer and Williams were contributing to space station chores and research, along with their duties checking Boeing’s capsule systems. Both have spent time on the space station. NASA said there are plenty of supplies on the space station for the duo and the seven long-term residents.