Starliner Crew to Spend More Time on ISS| No Confirmed Date Of Return, Says NASA

Despite thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, NASA emphasizes that the two-person crew, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, is not "stranded" in space. The agency plans to return them on Starliner once additional tests are completed.

The tests include thruster tests at NASA's White Sands Test Facility, scheduled to begin on July 2, to replicate the issues that caused the spacecraft to "de-select" thrusters. The results will help determine the cause of the problems and ensure the spacecraft's safe return. Those tests are scheduled to begin no earlier than July 2 and last a couple weeks, said Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager. “This will be the real opportunity to examine the thruster just like we had in space on the ground, with detailed inspections.”

The extended duration of the mission will pose challenges for certifying Starliner for crew rotation missions, potentially delaying its certification until after November. NASA is working on preparations for both Starliner-1 and Crew-10 missions in parallel, allowing for flexibility in deciding the timeline for crew rotation missions.

NASA and Boeing acknowledge the need for more frequent updates and interaction with the media to keep the public informed about the mission's progress. The agency also discussed the recent spacewalk scrub and the award of a contract to SpaceX for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.

The spacewalk, originally scheduled for June 24, was postponed due to a water leak in the airlock, and its cause remains under study. NASA has postponed the next International Space Station (ISS) spacewalk until the end of July due to a spacesuit leak issue. During the most recent extravehicular activity (EVA) on June 24, NASA astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mike Barratt had to wrap up after just 31 minutes when Dyson’s spacesuit began leaking water (used as a coolant). The leak occurred not in the suit itself but in an “umbilical,” which connects to the suit and services it. Mission teams are investigating the root cause, and the delay will allow them to ensure safety for the upcoming spacewalk, where Dyson and Barratt will perform hardware replacements, installations, and photographic inspections of station pipelines1. Coolant leaks have been a recurring challenge during ISS spacewalks, and addressing them thoroughly is crucial for astronaut safety. A new spacewalk is planned for the end of July, with a different set of tasks.

The USDV contract award to SpaceX marks a significant step in the deorbiting of the ISS at the end of its life. The spacecraft's design is based on Dragon heritage, with modifications to the trunk section, but details remain undisclosed until NASA issues a source selection statement.

By Azhar