NASA still deciding whether to keep 2 astronauts at space station until next year

NASA mentioned Wednesday it is nonetheless deciding whether or not to maintain two astronauts at the International Space Station till early subsequent yr and ship their troubled Boeing capsule again empty.

Fairly than flying Boeing’s Starliner again to Earth, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams would catch a journey on SpaceX’s next flight. That choice would preserve them on the space station till subsequent February.

The test pilots anticipated being away only a week or so after they rocketed away as Starliner’s first crew. However thruster failures and helium leaks marred the capsule‘s journey to the space station, elevating doubts about its capability to return safely and leaving the astronauts in limbo.

NASA officers mentioned they’re analyzing extra information earlier than making a choice by finish of subsequent week or starting of the following. These thrusters are essential for holding the capsule in the proper place when it comes time to descend from orbit.

“We have got time out there earlier than we deliver Starliner dwelling and we wish to use that point correctly,” mentioned Ken Bowersox, NASA’s space operations mission chief.

Switching to SpaceX would require bumping two of the 4 astronauts assigned to the following ferry flight, at the moment focused for late September. Wilmore and Williams would take the empty seats in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule as soon as that half-year mission ends.

One other complication: The space station has simply two parking locations for U.S. capsules. Boeing’s capsule must depart forward of the arrival of SpaceX’s Dragon with a purpose to unlock a spot.

Boeing has mentioned Starliner might nonetheless safely deliver the astronauts dwelling. The corporate earlier this month posted a listing of testing that has been carried out on the thrusters since liftoff.

NASA want to preserve SpaceX’s present crew up there till the replacements arrive, barring an emergency. These 4 ought to have returned to Earth this month, however noticed a seventh month added to their mission due to the uncertainty over Starliner, protecting them up there till the tip of September. Most space station stays final six months, though some have gone a full yr.

Wilmore and Williams are retired Navy captains who spent months aboard the space station years in the past.

“They are going to do what we ask them to do. That is their job as astronauts,” mentioned NAA chief astronaut Joe Acaba.

Wanting to have competing companies and backup choices, NASA employed SpaceX and Boeing to move astronauts to and from the space station after the shuttles retired in 2011.

SpaceX’s first astronaut flight was in 2020. Boeing suffered a lot hassle on its preliminary take a look at flight and not using a crew in 2019 {that a} do-over was ordered. Then extra issues cropped up, costing the corporate greater than $1 billion to repair earlier than lastly flying astronauts.

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