Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) strapped into “lifeboats” and prepared for an emergency evacuation after a defunct Russian satellite shattered into hundreds of pieces.
They include Boeing Co.’s troubled Starliner spacecraft, which officials say may successfully reach Earth if debris hits the International Space Station.
“We’re using Starliner for the safe haven function,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
“(The astronauts) enter the spacecraft, start the vehicle, close the hatch and prepare to perform…an emergency unlock and landing (from the International Space Station).”
Boeing discusses why astronauts stay in space
Starliner, part of a public-private partnership between Boeing and NASA, will take off for the first time with crew on June 5, 2024. (NASA/YouTube)
Starliner launched on June 5, carrying astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, in the first crewed expedition to the International Space Station since 2014, when Boeing and NASA agrees to a $4.2 billion public-private partnership.
A helium leak in the propulsion system and a faulty thruster turned a week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
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Starliner docks at the International Space Station, where engineers collect data to solve problems.
Boeing said the helium leaks were “stable and will not affect the return mission” and that four of the five thrusters that were shut down were “operating normally.”
Boeing’s Starliner capsule orbited in low orbit before carrying humans to the International Space Station for the first time. (NASA/YouTube)
Starliner docks with the International Space Station. (NASA)
“I want to make it clear that Butch and Suny are not stranded in space,” Stich said during a conference call with about two dozen news outlets on Friday. “Our plan is to continue to fly them back on Starliner and get them home at the right time.”
When that will come remains unknown.
Reporters peppered Boeing and NASA with questions about the specifics of their plans to bring Williams and Wilmore home and questioned officials’ assertions that the astronauts were not trapped, although there was no timetable for their return surface.
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“We still have more work to do to make that eventual return,” Stich said. “We’re in no rush to get home.”
NASA and Boeing have repeatedly said the astronauts are safe and “in good spirits,” while emphasizing that this is a good opportunity to collect more data.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore board Starliner ahead of launch on June 5, 2024. (NASA/YouTube)
Preparations for further testing on Earth are underway. The thruster was taken to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, where testing could begin as soon as Tuesday.
That’s expected to last “a few weeks,” Stich said, adding that it will determine the astronauts’ return schedule.
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“This is our opportunity to inspect the thrusters just like we do in space with detailed inspections on the ground,” he said.
In a previous email to Fox News Digital, Boeing said it was important to use the time they had and collect as much data as possible because the helium leak and the faulty service module, which housed the failed thruster, were on the crew’s part. It will be discarded during human inspection.
They burn up upon re-entry and therefore cannot be tested.
According to NASA, “As the International Space Station soars 266 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia, auroras stream below the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked in the front port of the Harmony module.” (NASA/Matt Dominik)
Mission and its importance
Boeing and SpaceX funded by Musk The program is a key player in NASA’s CCP, which will allow NASA to send astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station without relying on Russia.
The Chinese Communist Party came to power in 2010 under the leadership of former President Obama, a year after the United States Space Agency (NASA) space shuttle was retired after 30 years of service.
The United States has relied on Russia to transport cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, costing about $90 million per astronaut per round trip.
In 2014, after a lengthy competition, Boeing and SpaceX won the NASA contract, lowering the average cost per astronaut to less than $70 million.
Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon are completely different rockets. (NASA)
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Since its first manned launch in 2020, SpaceX has successfully conducted multiple manned launches.
Starliner launched on June 5 as Boeing’s first crewed mission to the International Space Station, but a series of problems turned the week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
Officials stressed Friday that it was a “test flight” and that supplies were sufficient. They said Williams and Wilmore were “in good spirits.”
