Exactly two months have passed since Boeing's Starliner spaceship, which was transporting Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams to the International Space Station, docked there on August 6, 2024. In June, Sunita Williams and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore made history by becoming the first members to travel to the International Space Station aboard the Starliner.
The spacecraft was launched on June 5 and arrived at the International Space Station on June 6. It was purportedly scheduled to return by June 14. Nevertheless, the Starliner's return to Earth has been postponed due to engine abnormalities and helium leakage in the spacecraft. As of yet, NASA and Boeing have not disclosed any return dates.
It has been reported that officials in orbit and on the ground are continuing to conduct tests and research in order to identify the underlying cause of the issues in Starliner and ensure the safe return of the two astronauts aboard the Boeing spacecraft.
"It was a test flight [NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test] and we were expecting some findings which could be used to improve the next flight," Sunita Williams had remarked on July 10.
"As always, astronaut safety remains the top priority for both NASA and Boeing," NASA said in its statement on August 1.
This was Boeing's second trip to the International Space Station and its third Starliner flight test in total. However, this crew flight demonstration marked the inaugural human launch of the Boeing spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.
Is Starliner currently in good health?
Boeing said in a statement that extensive testing of Starliner’s propulsion system had been completed. The aerospace industry verified that Starliner’s propulsion system "maintains redundancy and the helium levels remain stable".
Boeing informed that the testing "has confirmed 27 of 28 RCS thrusters are healthy and back to full operational capability".
As officials take time to uncover the root cause of the anomalies in Starliner, Boeing said, “The data also supports root cause assessments for the helium and thruster issues and flight rationale for Starliner and its crew’s return to Earth.”
NASA experts had earlier indicated that the propulsion system is extremely redundant on each other. "So if there was an issue in any one of the thrusters, the redundance will take over and bring us safely home," he added.
Read Also : What specific health risks are Sunita Williams facing due to the delay in her return from space extending over a month?
Starliner's propulsion system is part of the spacecraft's "service module". The concerns concentrate on this mechanism, which is required to back the Starliner capsule away from the ISS and position it to descend through Earth's atmosphere. Many of Starliner's thrusters had overheated when fired, and the losses of helium – used to pressurise the thrusters – appear to be linked to how frequently they are used.
The thrusters are required to maneuver the Starliner spacecraft into position for reentry and also to decelerate the capsule to a proper speed before the service module separates. It is after this step that the capsule takes that final descent. To reiterate, the mission was delayed because at least one of the 28 thrusters was malfunctioning.
19 experiments conducted
Boeing and NASA completed as many as 19 experiments of Starliner's propulsion system. These include "roughly 1,00,000 computer model simulations representing potential variables and conditions Starliner could experience during undocking, the deorbit burn and landing".
Seven ground experiments of a Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster, extracted from the Starliner-1 Service Module, were done. There was one "free-flight hot fire" test and two docked hot fire tests. Besides, helium discharge rate data was also measured.
When a hot fire test of the Starliner spacecraft’s reaction control system jets was conducted on July 27, "the teams verified [that] Starliner continues to show the margin needed to support a return trip from the station."
NASA reported on July 30 that the ground crews are working to complete Starliner’s return to Earth.
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Exactly two months have passed since Boeing's Starliner spaceship, which was transporting Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams to the International Space Station, docked there on August 6, 2024. In June, Sunita Williams and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore made history by becoming the first members to travel to the International Space Station aboard the Starliner.
The spacecraft was launched on June 5 and arrived at the International Space Station on June 6. It was purportedly scheduled to return by June 14. Nevertheless, the Starliner's return to Earth has been postponed due to engine abnormalities and helium leakage in the spacecraft. As of yet, NASA and Boeing have not disclosed any return dates.
It has been reported that officials in orbit and on the ground are continuing to conduct tests and research in order to identify the underlying cause of the issues in Starliner and ensure the safe return of the two astronauts aboard the Boeing spacecraft.
"It was a test flight [NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test] and we were expecting some findings which could be used to improve the next flight," Sunita Williams had remarked on July 10.
"As always, astronaut safety remains the top priority for both NASA and Boeing," NASA said in its statement on August 1.
This was Boeing's second trip to the International Space Station and its third Starliner flight test in total. However, this crew flight demonstration marked the inaugural human launch of the Boeing spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.
Is Starliner currently in good health?
Boeing said in a statement that extensive testing of Starliner’s propulsion system had been completed. The aerospace industry verified that Starliner’s propulsion system "maintains redundancy and the helium levels remain stable".
Boeing informed that the testing "has confirmed 27 of 28 RCS thrusters are healthy and back to full operational capability".
As officials take time to uncover the root cause of the anomalies in Starliner, Boeing said, “The data also supports root cause assessments for the helium and thruster issues and flight rationale for Starliner and its crew’s return to Earth.”
NASA experts had earlier indicated that the propulsion system is extremely redundant on each other. "So if there was an issue in any one of the thrusters, the redundance will take over and bring us safely home," he added.
Read Also : What specific health risks are Sunita Williams facing due to the delay in her return from space extending over a month?
Starliner's propulsion system is part of the spacecraft's "service module". The concerns concentrate on this mechanism, which is required to back the Starliner capsule away from the ISS and position it to descend through Earth's atmosphere. Many of Starliner's thrusters had overheated when fired, and the losses of helium – used to pressurise the thrusters – appear to be linked to how frequently they are used.
The thrusters are required to maneuver the Starliner spacecraft into position for reentry and also to decelerate the capsule to a proper speed before the service module separates. It is after this step that the capsule takes that final descent. To reiterate, the mission was delayed because at least one of the 28 thrusters was malfunctioning.
19 experiments conducted
Boeing and NASA completed as many as 19 experiments of Starliner's propulsion system. These include "roughly 1,00,000 computer model simulations representing potential variables and conditions Starliner could experience during undocking, the deorbit burn and landing".
Seven ground experiments of a Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster, extracted from the Starliner-1 Service Module, were done. There was one "free-flight hot fire" test and two docked hot fire tests. Besides, helium discharge rate data was also measured.
When a hot fire test of the Starliner spacecraft’s reaction control system jets was conducted on July 27, "the teams verified [that] Starliner continues to show the margin needed to support a return trip from the station."
NASA reported on July 30 that the ground crews are working to complete Starliner’s return to Earth.