Starliner Will Return to Earth Without Astronauts, NASA Announces

By IndraStra Global News Team

NASA has announced that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. This decision, revealed on Saturday, is part of a strategic move to allow NASA and Boeing to continue collecting valuable testing data on Starliner during its uncrewed return journey. The agency aims to minimize unnecessary risks and ensure a safer evaluation of the spacecraft's performance by opting for an uncrewed return.
Since their arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test, Wilmore and Williams have been actively engaged in various critical tasks. Their responsibilities have included supporting ongoing research, performing maintenance operations, and conducting system testing and data analysis for Starliner, among other duties. Their work has been essential in advancing the mission’s objectives and enhancing the spacecraft's capabilities.
Spaceflight inherently carries risks, even in its safest and most routine forms. Test flights, by their very nature, are not considered safe or routine. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized this point, explaining that the decision to keep astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams aboard the International Space Station while returning Boeing's Starliner spacecraft uncrewed reflects the agency's unwavering commitment to safety. This decision underscores safety as a fundamental value and guiding principle for NASA. Nelson expressed gratitude for the meticulous efforts of both NASA and Boeing teams to ensure the mission proceeded safely.
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams will continue their roles as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew until February 2025. They are scheduled to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft alongside two other crew members assigned to the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is planned to leave the space station and conduct a controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September, following adjustments made to address recent issues.
On June 6, as Starliner approached the space station, NASA and Boeing detected helium leaks and encountered problems with the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters. Engineering teams undertook extensive work in response, including data analysis, flight and ground testing, independent reviews with propulsion experts, and developing return contingency plans. The lack of expert consensus on the spacecraft's readiness for crewed flight led to the decision to transition Wilmore and Williams to the Crew-9 mission.
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, acknowledged the challenges involved in these decisions. He praised the NASA and Boeing teams for their rigorous analysis, transparent discussions, and commitment to safety during the Crew Flight Test. The data gathered from Starliner's journey and its operations at the station will continue to inform improvements and preparations for future flights.
Starliner has previously completed two uncrewed flights and is designed for autonomous operation. NASA and Boeing will collaborate on adjusting the spacecraft's end-of-mission planning and systems to prepare for its uncrewed return. Starliner must return to Earth before the Crew-9 mission's launch to ensure a docking port is available on the station. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, highlighted the spacecraft's capabilities and the importance of having a higher level of certainty for crewed missions. The insights gained from this flight test will enhance Starliner and support future spaceflight endeavors.
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission, initially planned for four crew members, will launch by Tuesday, September 24. NASA will provide more details about the Crew-9 team as final arrangements are made. In preparation, NASA and SpaceX are reconfiguring the Crew-9 Dragon seats, adjusting the mission manifest to include additional cargo and personal items, and using new facilities at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This updated approach will offer greater flexibility for both the Crew-9 mission and NASA's Europa Clipper launch. The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth rotational mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to the International Space Station using American-made rockets and spacecraft.

IndraStra Global is now available on
Apple News, Google News, Feedly, Flipboard, and  WhatsApp Channel

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this insight piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IndraStra Global.

COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html