NASA astronauts extend space station stay as engineers try to repair Boeing capsule: NPR

Boeing crew flight test astronauts Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore, center, stand with Expedition 71 flight engineers Mike Barratt, left, and Tracy Dyson, both NASA astronauts, in their spacesuits aboard the Quest airlock on the International Space Station in June 24, 2024.

NASA via Associated Press

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‎/NASA via AP

Two NASA astronauts are scheduled to stay longer on the International Space Station while engineers work to resolve problems encountered by Boeing’s new space capsule that arose during the journey there.

On Friday, NASA did not set a date for return until after tests on Earth were completed and said the astronauts were safe.

“We’re in no rush to get home,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager.

Veteran NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the orbiting laboratory on June 5. It was Boeing’s first astronaut launch after years of delays and setbacks.

The test flight was expected to last a week or so, long enough for Wilmore and Williams to check out the capsule while it docked with the station. But problems with the capsule’s propulsion system, which is used to maneuver the spacecraft, prompted NASA and Boeing to postpone the return trip to Earth several times while they analyzed the problem.

They also wanted to avoid conflicts with astronauts’ spacewalks on the station. But a spacewalk was canceled this week after water leaked from one of the astronauts’ suits. The problem has not been resolved and the spacewalk planned for next week has been postponed.

As the Starliner approached the space station a day after launch, a last-minute propulsion failure nearly derailed the docking process. Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters fell out during docking; All but one of the engines were restarted.

Starliner already had a small helium leak when it launched into orbit and several more appeared during the flight. Helium is used to compress fuel in the thrusters. Boeing said this week that the two problems are not a concern for the return trip.

To delay the astronauts’ return, NASA and Boeing said they needed more time to gather information about the propulsion problem and leaks while the capsule was docking. Both are located in the service module, a module attached to the capsule that burns up during reentry.

NASA initially said the Starliner could remain docked at the space station for up to 45 days due to battery limitations. Tests on board the plane showed that this limit could be extended, Stich said.

Officials said they won’t set a return date while ground tests of the capsule’s propulsion systems are underway in the New Mexico desert, which are expected to last two weeks. They want to try to replicate the situation that occurred during the docking.

“I want to make it very clear that Butch and Sonny are not stuck in space,” Stitch said, adding that the Starliner is designed for a mission of up to 210 days.

Astronauts could return to Earth in the Starliner in case of an emergency at the space station, Stitch said.

After the Space Shuttle fleet was retired, NASA turned over astronaut rides to private companies. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has flown nine taxi flights for NASA since 2020. NASA plans to alternate between SpaceX and Boeing in ferrying crews to and from the space station.