the return to Earth of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft postponed again

The astronauts left behind the initial schedule, they will not return to earth at the time initially planned either. The return to Earth of the Boeing Starliner from the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for June 26, has been postponed again, NASA announced on Friday June 21. Starliner’s first crewed mission to the ISS, which was initially scheduled to last about eight days, has been extended to an as-yet-undetermined date, after being extended the first time due to propellant problems and helium leaks. .

This new postponement will allow more time to examine the propellant malfunctions and the helium leaks which had already caused an initial delay, the agency added.

The postponement of the departure scheduled for “Wednesday June 26 puts an end to the undocking and landing of the Starliner (…) while leaving the teams of [la] mission time to examine the propulsion system data”, he indicated. “We are taking our time and following the standard process of our team managing the mission,” said NASA official Steve Stich.

The ship took off from Florida on June 5, years late and several last-minute postponements. Furthermore, a helium leak affected the Starliner before its launch. Although incombustible, helium puts pressure on the propulsion system. However, other leaks appeared during the flight. Finally, the initial docking with the ISS was delayed by more than an hour after problems starting certain Starliner thrusters used for advanced maneuvers.

NASA, however, said the crew was in no rush to leave the ISS because it is well-stocked. Moreover, “the station’s schedule is relatively open until mid-August.”

Steve Stitch finally added that Starliner, whose crew is made up of two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, “works well in orbit when docked to the space station.”