By now, the deeply concerning troubles afflicting the aerospace giant Boeing are a constant feature of the news cycle, with repeated accidents and malfunctions, and whistleblowers alerting of widespread problems endangering planes all over the planet.
The Boeing troubles find perhaps their most extreme manifestation up in the atmosphere, where the Starliner remains docked in the International Space Station undergoing tests for 3 weeks.
NASA remains assertive: the two veterans in the spaceship’s first crewed mission astronauts are ‘NOT STRANDED’ in space.
People reported:
“Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have now been in space for three weeks after their journey, which began on June 5, was sidetracked when the Starliner experienced mechanical problems while the crew was testing it out in space.
Despite concerns about the astronauts’ well-being, NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said the two astronauts ‘are not stranded in space’.[…] However, Stich said there is currently no targeted date for the astronauts’ return.”
The starliner docked in the ISS.
Besides the Helium leaks, thruster problems are also plaguing the Starliner, and are the source of the delay.
Back here on Earth, crews scramble to fix the multiple issues.
“‘We’re not going to target a specific date until we get that testing completed’, [Stitch] continued, later adding, ‘I think we’re on a good path’.”
Boeing believes it ‘can return with Starliner at any time’.
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams were meant to return to Earth 18 days ago. It is still unclear when the astronauts will return home.
The starliner was launched on June 5, after two attempts were cancelled due to rocket problems.
NASA says that Starliner is fit to come back to Earth ‘in the event of an emergency’.
Yahoo News reported:
“Starliner commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams, both of whom are retired Navy captains and veteran NASA astronauts, launched Starliner on June 5. (The June 5 launch was actually the third try with astronauts — the first two were canceled due to rocket issues.)
[…] Both Wilmore and Williams spent time at the space station before — so keeping them there shouldn’t be an issue, even if it is a shift from the original plan. Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut, told Scientific American, “Butch and Suni can stay onboard ISS almost indefinitely if needed, so they are in no danger.”
Read more:
SpaceX May Have to Rescue NASA Astronauts Stranded in the International Space Station Due to Boeing Starliner’s Multiple Helium Leaks: REPORT
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Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams Have Been in Space for Three Weeks Due to Problems With Boeing Starliner, but NASA Insists They Are NOT Stranded
