Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft Remains Stranded in Space with No Return Date
The Starliner spacecraft, which was launched on June 5 with two NASA astronauts on board, has been experiencing technical issues and is currently stranded in space with no return date set.
The problems began even before the launch, with the spacecraft’s launch being postponed twice. “We all know that when things get tough, and they often do, the tough get going,” said one of the stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore.
During its attempt to dock with the International Space Station, five of the 28 engines on the spacecraft did not respond properly. “We believe there is something causing the thrusters to fail at this point and we don’t know exactly why,” said Steve Stich, program manager for NASA’s commercial team.
The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, arrived at the Space Station almost a month ago and were originally scheduled to return to Earth after an eight-day stay. However, the spacecraft is experiencing multiple failures and the mission has been postponed indefinitely.
Both NASA and Boeing, the company that manages the flight, have decided to wait until the conditions are right before bringing the Starliner home. “You have to have a lot of conditions that are right before bringing the Starliner home, and we’re going to wait until those conditions are right,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s mission and operations directorate.
Despite the technical issues, the spacecraft is stable and ready to leave the Station in case of an emergency.