Boeing Moves Closer to Understanding Thrust Engine Failures on First Spaceflight with Latest Test

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing Co. is closer to understanding what went wrong with its commercial airplane program. astronaut capsule In orbit, now that testing is complete on the backup booster here on Earth.

the Starliner Capsule He was head On the International Space Station since June 6. She was supposed to return with her astronauts. NASA Test Pilots By mid-June, however, thruster failures and helium leaks prompted NASA and Boeing to extend its stay.

No date has been set for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, officials said Thursday. Engineers will first disassemble the thruster that has been tested in New Mexico for the past two weeks. Then they will analyze the data before clearing the Starliner for the homecoming.

“We have collected an incredible amount of data on the engine that can help us better understand what happens during flight,” Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, said in a statement.

The test successfully simulated the conditions the thrusters would experience up until the moment the capsule docked with the space station, as well as what the thrusters would experience between separation and landing, according to NASA.

This is the first test flight of the Starliner with a crew on board.

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