Boeing Starliner With Sunita Williams Stuck In Space But All Is Safe

India-West News Desk

HOUSTON, TX – NASA has confirmed that they further delayed the Boeing Starliner’s return from the International Space Station with Sunita Williams on board and have not set a new landing date.

The Boeing Starliner has been facing a series of glitches. Sunita Williams and her co-passenger Butch Wilmore are both safe on the ISS along with the seven other crew members who inhabit the “mini-city in space.”

Williams arrived at the ISS on June 5 for a 10-day mission that was initially planned. However, issues with the small rockets aiding the crew module’s return and a series of Helium leaks on the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight have since extended the mission twice.

According to NASA, the crew does not have to rush their departure from the station since they have ample supplies and the station’s schedule is open through mid-August.

NASA canceled Williams’ planned return on June 14 and set a new date of June 26, which they have also postponed. They have not yet announced a new date.

NASA said in its statement mission managers are evaluating future return opportunities following the station’s planned spacewalk on July 2. So, it could well be nearly a month-long stay for Williams.

“Starliner is performing well in orbit while docked to the space station,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “We are strategically using the extra time to clear a path for some critical station activities while completing readiness for Butch and Suni’s return on Starliner and gaining valuable insight into the system upgrades we will want to make for post-certification missions.”

“NASA and Boeing’s leadership are adjusting the return to Earth of the Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft with agency astronauts. The move off Wednesday, June 26, deconflicts Starliner’s undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to review propulsion system data,” a statement said.

Five of the 28 thrusters on the Boeing Starliner are having issues and there have been five Helium leaks on the spacecraft. Experts say 14 thrusters are the minimum required for a safe return.

Boeing said, “Starliner has completed 77 of the original 87 flight-test objectives, with the remaining 10 will occur between undocking and landing.”