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Officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boeing will hold a teleconference with media on Thursday, July 25 at 9 p.m. “to provide the latest status on the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission to the International Space Station,” the US space agency said.
The discussion during the press conference may provide information about the return of two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Indian-origin Sunita Williams, who are spending more time in space than previously scheduled. Some information will also be given about the “ground hot fire testing” being done to ensure the safe return of Starliner to Earth.
What is ground testing?
Recently, engineering teams from NASA and Boeing completed ground hot fire testing of the Starliner reaction control system thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
These tests simulated various flight conditions, including the spacecraft’s approach to the space station and potential stress scenarios during undocking and deorbit burns.
“The test series ignited the engine under conditions similar to those experienced by the spacecraft during its approach to the space station,” NASA said.
The test also included a variety of stress-case firings, “similar to what is expected during Starliner’s undocking and deorbit burn, which will prepare the spacecraft for a landing in the southwestern United States”.
“Teams are analyzing data from these tests, and leadership plans to discuss initial findings during the call,” NASA said.
What happened to Sunita Williams’s spaceship?
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore took off on Boeing’s new Starliner capsule on June 5. They would have returned several weeks ago, possibly by June 14. However, they are still hovering in space because of a problem with their Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system – which is used to power the spacecraft.
“Helium leaks and thruster failures nearly derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, and they had to remain there much longer than planned,” officials said.
When will NASA astronauts return to Earth?
Now, all eyes are on the return of the Starliner crew members – Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore – to Earth. In an update on July 10, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Director Steve Stich said that the two could return to Earth by the end of July.
NASA officials did not give an exact return date. Boeing’s Mark Nappe previously stressed that in an emergency, Starliner and its crew could return right away. While the company does not think the thrusters are damaged, he said, “We want to fill in the blanks and do this test to reassure ourselves.”
Since arriving at the International Space Station, Starliner crew members have been engaged in a number of research and experiments, trying to understand what went wrong during their trip aboard the Starliner capsule.
On July 11, NASA said its teams, in collaboration with the Boeing crew, were working to enhance understanding of the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system and conduct ground testing on a new thruster ahead of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ return from the space station.
Later on July 20, Boeing Space reported, “From launch to docked operations, the spacecraft and its crew completed 77 flight test objectives for all capability checks and certification. The remaining 10 will be completed from undocking to landing.”
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Published: July 24, 2024, 03:32 PM IST
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