What went wrong with NASA's Boeing Starliner Mission?
Two astronauts, Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, are currently stuck in space because Boeing's Starliner capsule is unable to make the return journey to Earth. They launched on June 5th in Starliner's first mission carrying astronauts. After docking with the International Space Station (ISS), they were scheduled to stay for eight days. However, the capsule has encountered multiple issues, including five helium leaks, five dead maneuvering thrusters, and a propellant valve that failed to close properly. NASA has rescheduled their return three times, with the latest tentative date being July 6th. These problems are primarily related to Starliner's propulsion system, which is necessary for detaching from the ISS and re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Despite these challenges, the astronauts have been busy performing maintenance tasks and system tests. If Starliner cannot safely return them, they may use SpaceX's Crew Dragon as an emergency backup. This mission is vital as Starliner provides an alternative to SpaceX's Crew Dragon for transporting astronauts. Boeing has faced significant setbacks, contributing to estimated losses of around $1.5 billion on the Starliner program.
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