2024-06-20 13:57:30
Washington: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is ready to attain its highest achievement this month. Carrying astronauts to the Worldwide Area Station after which bringing them again from there’ll present that the long-running undertaking is prepared. Starliner has been in a position to fulfill half of its purpose. However the two skilled astronauts who performed this take a look at flight are in a brief place. Their keep on the house station has been prolonged for the second time. On the identical time, engineers on the bottom are busy understanding the issue that affected the primary section of their journey. Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived on the house station on June 6 aboard the Starliner. NASA had estimated that they’d keep right here for every week. However issues similar to helium leak and sudden shutdown of thrusters throughout the flight have raised questions. NASA stated on Tuesday that Williams and Wilmore is not going to return earlier than June 26. NASA introduced on Tuesday that the mission has been prolonged by at the least 20 days. The spacecraft is safely connected to the house station and its drawback is being detected.
Embarrassing second for Starliner
“There isn’t a cause to consider that Starliner will be unable to return astronauts. Nonetheless, we actually wish to work by the remaining knowledge,” officers stated. It’s not unusual for astronauts to unexpectedly lengthen their keep by days, weeks and even months. NASA says Starliner can spend as much as 45 days on the ISS if wanted. Nonetheless, this example is an embarrassing second for the already lagging Starliner program.
Sunita Williams grew to become an astronaut in 1998
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams flew to house for the third time on June 5 with one other colleague. Throughout a go to to the Worldwide Area Station in 2012, Williams grew to become the primary particular person to finish a ‘triathlon’ in house. Williams joined the US Navy in Could 1987 after coaching on the US Naval Academy. Williams was chosen as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and was part of two house missions – Expedition 14/15 in 2006 and Expedition 32/33 in 2012.