Astronauts confident Boeing space capsule can return them safely to Earth, despite failures

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two astronauts who were supposed to return to Earth weeks ago said Wednesday they were confident their Boeing space capsule could get them back safely, despite a series of troubling malfunctions.

NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams It was launched. The astronauts were the first to board Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft early last month. Helium leaks and failed thrusters nearly derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, keeping them there much longer than planned. Officials said the earliest they could return could be the end of July.

In their first news conference from orbit, the duo said they expect to return once the thruster test is complete here on Earth. They said they have no complaints about getting extra time in orbit and enjoy helping the station crew. Both have previously spent time on the orbiting laboratory, which also houses seven others.

“I have a really good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft will bring us home, no problem,” Williams told reporters.

The test flight was scheduled to last eight days, ending on June 14.

The earliest Starliner astronauts could return is the end of July, said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager. The goal is to have them back before SpaceX launches a new crew in mid-August, but that could change, too, he said.

NASA and Boeing are trying this week to replicate Starliner’s thruster problems in a brand-new unit at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, one of the premier landing sites in the U.S. Western Desert. The problem lies with the propulsion system used to maneuver the spacecraft.

Five thrusters failed as the capsule approached the space station on June 6, a day after launch. Four have since been reactivated. Wilmore said there should be enough working engines to get him and Williams out of orbit. There are also larger engines that could replace the others if needed.

“That mantra you’ve heard, ‘Failure is not an option,’ is why we’re here now,” Wilmore said. “We trust that the tests we’re running are the tests we need to get the right answers, and give us the data we need to go back.”

Boeing and NASA consider ground testing essential to determine what may have gone wrong, as that part of the capsule — the service module — is jettisoned before landing. Leaks are also found in this jettisonable section.

So far, tests have failed to replicate the high temperatures the craft experienced during the flight, according to Stich. Managers want to make sure the suspected thrusters haven’t been damaged before returning the Starliner. Stich noted that the thrusters fired more frequently than expected early in the flight, and the extra demand on them may have caused them to fail.

Meanwhile, ground tests are being conducted to better understand the helium leaks, which may have been caused by poor seals. Officials had previously said there was enough helium left for the return trip.

Hurricane Beryl has slowed some operations. The Johnson Space Center in Houston, which houses control centers for both NASA and Boeing, was closed earlier this week to all but the most critical employees.

Boeing’s Mark Nabi confirmed that in the event of an emergency, the Starliner and its crew could now return. While the company does not believe the engines are damaged, “we want to fill in the blanks and do this test to confirm that.”

NASA ordered SpaceX’s Starliner and Dragon capsules a decade ago to fly astronauts to and from the space station, paying each company billions of dollars. SpaceX’s first astronaut taxi flight was in 2020. Boeing’s first crewed flight has been repeatedly delayed by software and other issues.

Stitch said there had been no discussions with SpaceX about sending a rescue capsule.

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