Although Starliner’s first flight was not accurately planned, both NASA and Boeing hope that the spacecraft will one day be able to fly again.
Starliner astronauts look back on the expansion mission of space
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore discussed their extended stay on the International Space Station.
- On June 5th, 2024, Starliner was off the ground from Florida and had two experienced NASA astronauts in preparation for its short trip to the International Space Station.
- However, the spacecraft problem has led NASA to solve it without a crew.
- Butch Wilmore and Snie Williams ultimately spent more than nine months and 280 days on track as part of NASA’s emergency plan.
Boeing’s Starliner’s first human spaceflight made headlines for all the wrong reasons. However, a year after its release, neither Boeing nor NASA seem to have given up on the spaceship.
On June 5th, 2024, Starliner was off the ground from Florida and had two experienced NASA astronauts in preparation for its short trip to the International Space Station. It then took several months to realize that the vehicle had encountered many mechanical problems during its orbital voyage.
As a result, Starliner crew members Butch Willmore and Snie Williams spent more than nine months on orbit as part of NASA’s contingency plan.
The flight tests were far from what they planned, but they are giving signs that both NASA and Boeing still want the Starliner to fly again.
Here’s what you need to know about the Starliner Mission and Boeing and NASA:
What is a Boeing Star Liner? Why NASA wants to certify vehicles
Boeing is developing the Starliner spacecraft with the goal of NASA becoming the second operating vehicle for transporting crews and cargo to the space station.
The mission is contracted under the US Space Agency’s Commercial Officer Program, under which NASA contracts private companies to use their own commercial vehicles to carry out orbital spaceflight.
SpaceX has been making daily trips to the space station under the program, using Dragon Capsules since 2020. Nearly 27 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, the Dragon Capsule has four conditions for most SpaceX’s crew, but can bring up to seven astronauts into orbit.
A crew mission has been launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Infrorida on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket (one of the most active in the world).
What happened to the Boeing Star Liner, “Stack” astronaut?
Two astronauts selected for the flight test of the Starliner Maiden crew, Wilmore and Williams aim to transport NASA astronauts into orbit on June 5, 2024, on a mission to test vehicles that one day aim to participate in SpaceX Dragon.
The astronauts arrived at the International Space Station a day after its release. There, they were expected to stay there for about 10 days before they returned home.
However, the mission failed when many technical issues with the spacecraft prompted NASA to determine that Starliner could not safely return its crew to Earth. Instead, Wilmore and Williams had no choice but to see the spacecraft they took to the station on September 6th without them to make an autonomous landing in New Mexico.
Under NASA’s plans announced in August 2024, the SpaceX Dragon, which is already scheduled to arrive at the space station, has been chosen as a vehicle for Ferry Willmore and Williams Home. That mission began as planned in late September, but there was one important change. It was two astronauts who were riding the dragon rather than four to leave two extra seats for Willmore and Williams.
This meant that the astronauts who crew Starliner would stay at the station for a few extra months as the crew, nine spacecraft, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov completed their six-month mission.
Then, on March 15th, when a replacement mission for crew 10 arrived, the stage was set for the original Starliner crew to finally return to Earth. The SpaceX Dragon vehicle, powered by Wilmore, Williams, The Hague and Golbunov, held a parachute-assisted waterland on March 19 off the coast of Florida.
What’s next for Boeing, NASA, a starliner development company?
As of late March, NASA was moving forward with plans to work with Boeing.
According to NASA officials, the aerospace company had planned to run more tests this summer at NASA’s White Sands test facility in New Mexico. This includes fixing thruster issues from first crew spaceflight and conducting more propulsion system tests.
The team is also testing new ways to seal off the helium system and reduce the risk of future leaks, NASA said in a blog post on March 27 in its final public update on the Starliner spacecraft. The USA Today Network has contacted NASA for more information about Starliner status.
In its 2024 report, the independent Watchdog Report decided that changes would be necessary before other Starliner issues could also be identified. This includes planning a battery redesign and work to strengthen the landing airbag backing panels.
“NASA sees its commitment from Boeing to add the Starliner system to the country’s crew transport base,” Ken Baussox, NASA’s space operations associate administrator, said in a statement in March.
However, when Starliner is able to fly next – with or without crew – has not yet been determined.
Eric Lagatta is a Space Connect reporter for the USA Today Network. Contact him at elagatta@gannett.com
