The return to Earth of the two astronauts of the shuttle StarlinerButch Wilmore and Suni Williams, has been postponed again. The two have been on the International Space Station for seven weeks, due to technical problems that emerged during the first crewed test flight. This is what emerged from the recent press conference held by the NASA and Boeing to update on the status of the mission.
“We are not yet ready to announce a return date,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial flight program manager. “After testing over the past couple of weeks, we’ve learned a lot and made great progress, but we’re not ready for reentry yet.”
Engine testsperformed at the White Sands Test Facility, have reproduced the degradation observed during the flight. However, further investigation is needed, such as the test of 27 of the 28 thrusters for maneuvers scheduled for July 28 and 29, and the verification of the stability of the helium system.
Starliner and the time of the batteries
Stitch confirmed that the battery life of Starlinerinitially planned for 45 days, has been extended to 90 days to ensure a wider time window that reaches up to September.
Despite the uncertaintyNASA and Boeing confirm that the primary objective is to return the two astronauts to Earth aboard Starliner. There are alternative plans, but at the moment No details about them have been released.
What do you think about this situation? Are you confident in the success of the Starliner mission? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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