Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams will return to Earth in February 2025 in SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft * Big blow to Boeing
NASA has decided to return Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to Earth without astronauts Butch Willmore and Sonny Williams on board, it was announced Saturday, August 24, 2024. The decision to return the spacecraft without a crew allows NASA and Boeing to continue collecting experimental data during the flight The next one returned to Earth, while keeping the risks to the astronaut team to a minimum.
Wilmore Williams, who arrived at the International Space Station in June as part of the NASA and Boeing manned test flight, were busy supporting research on the station, maintaining and testing the Starliner systems and analyzing data, among other activities.
"Spaceflight is dangerous, even at its safest level and in the most routine moments. Test flight, by its very nature, is both unsafe and nonroutine. The decision to leave Butch and Sonny on the International Space Station and return the Boeing Starliner spacecraft without a crew is a result of our commitment to safety: our core value And our compass," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "I'm grateful to both NASA teams and Boeing for their amazing and detailed work."
Wilmore Williams will continue their work as part of the Expedition 71/72 crews until February 2025. They will return to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft along with two other crew members as part of NASA's Crew-9 mission and SpaceX. The Starliner is expected to leave the space station and perform a re-entry into the atmosphere and an autonomously controlled landing at the beginning of September.
NASA and Boeing detected helium leaks and addressed problems with the spacecraft's control engines during June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including data review, ground and space experiments, independent reviews with propulsion experts , and the development of various emergency plans. The uncertainty and expert disagreement did not meet the safety and performance requirements of NASA for manned space flights, so NASA leadership decided to transfer the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.
"Decisions like these are never easy, but I want to thank the NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, open discussions and focus on safety during the manned test flight," said Ken Bowersox, NASA's operations director. "We learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and during its operations while docked. We will continue to collect more data about the Starliner during the unmanned return and improve the system for future flights to the space station."
The Starliner was designed to operate autonomously and has already completed two unmanned flights in the past. NASA and Boeing will work together to adjust the plans for the end of the mission and upgrade the Starliner's systems for the unmanned return in the coming weeks. The Starliner must return to Earth before the launch of the Crew-9 mission to secure a berth on the space station.
"Starliner is a very advanced spacecraft, and at the end of the day, it's a matter of needing a higher level of certainty for a manned return," said Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager. "The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analyses, and this test flight provides critical information about the Starliner's performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare the unmanned return and contribute greatly for the spacecraft's future repair operations."
NASA's commercial crew program requires the spacecraft to conduct a manned test flight to demonstrate that the system is ready for regular flights to and from the space station. After the Starliner returns, NASA will review all mission-related data to determine what additional steps are required to meet the agency's certification requirements.
NASA and SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, originally planned for a crew of four, will launch no earlier than Tuesday, September 24. NASA will share more information about the crew of Crew-9 as the final details are finalized.
NASA and SpaceX are currently working on a number of tasks leading up to the launch, including adjusting the seats in the crew dragon for Crew-9, and adjusting the cargo to carry personal equipment and specific spacesuits for Wilmore Williams. In addition, NASA and SpaceX will use new facilities at the Space Launch Complex- 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the Crew-9 launch, allowing for increased operational flexibility around the launch The planned Europa Clipper mission of NASA.
The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth mission to the space station under NASA's commercial crew program, which works in partnership with the American aerospace industry to meet the goal of safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station, on American-made rockets and spacecraft launched from United States soil.
NASA recently made an important decision that will affect the continuation of its manned space missions. After several months of tests and technical problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, it was decided that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams, who are on the International Space Station, will return to Earth in the Crew Dragon spacecraft of SpaceX and not in the Starliner as originally planned.
The decision was made after it was discovered that the Starliner's propulsion system was suffering from repeated helium leaks, in addition to thruster engine failures that caused great concern about the safety of the manned landing. NASA stressed that while spaceflight is always considered dangerous, the risks in this case were too high and they could not take an unnecessary risk.
This decision has far-reaching implications for the future of Boeing's Starliner program. This program is already suffering from many delays and technical problems, and the decision to return the astronauts in the spacecraft of a competitor like SpaceX could affect Boeing's position in NASA's commercial crew program. At the same time, the decision strengthens SpaceX's position as a central and more reliable partner of NASA in manned missions.
Now, Boeing is forced to face a reality where the continued development of the Starliner spacecraft is delayed, and meanwhile NASA will continue to rely on SpaceX for manned flights to the International Space Station.
NASA's recent decision to return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams from the International Space Station using SpaceX's Cryo Dragon spacecraft, rather than Boeing's Starliner as originally planned, marks a significant milestone in NASA's commercial crew program. This decision comes after months of testing, testing and technical glitches uncovered during Starliner's first manned mission, which led NASA to choose the safest way to return the astronauts to Earth.
The chain of events and technical failures
On June 5, 2024, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams aboard, was successfully launched aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. At first, the mission appeared to be progressing as planned, as the Starliner separated from the rocket's upper propulsion stage and performed the orbital insertion maneuvers. During the journey, the team even performed a successful manual flight maneuver, in which they navigated the spacecraft using manual controls. However, serious problems soon began to appear in the spacecraft's propulsion system.
During the approach to the International Space Station, the Starliner experienced severe problems with the five thrusters of the Reaction Control System (RCS). This system includes small engines responsible for rotating and maneuvering the spacecraft in the space of empty space, and its role is particularly critical when performing docking maneuvers with the space station. When one of the engines' parameters did not meet expectations, Boeing's software automatically shut down the faulty engines, leading to a significant delay in the docking process with the space station.
In addition to problems with the propulsion engines, helium leaks were discovered in the Starliner's propulsion system. Helium is used to propel the system, and these leaks required Boeing to use an additional amount of helium to continue the mission. After docking at the space station, another leak was discovered, bringing the number of leaks to five. These problems did not end here - after the docking, another leak appeared, which added to the concerns about the safety of the astronauts' return to Earth.
The decision and its consequences for Boeing and SpaceX
This decision has far-reaching consequences for both companies involved. For Boeing, this means a serious damage to its reputation and the reliability of the Starliner spacecraft. The project, which has suffered from many problems since its inception, may come under severe criticism from the public and from NASA itself. The economic potential of the program could also be harmed, as NASA may consider reducing Boeing's role in the commercial crew project.
Moreover, Boeing is already facing many challenges in the field of commercial aviation, including the grounding of the 737 MAX model following two fatal disasters. Now, these problems are spreading to space exploration as well, raising questions about the company's ability to maintain its position as one of NASA's key partners.
On the other hand, for SpaceX, the decision is a significant strengthening of its position as a reliable partner of NASA. The company was able to prove its capabilities in the field of manned space, and proved once again that it is capable of providing safer and more reliable solutions, even in critical situations. The move strengthens SpaceX's position not Not only in front of NASA but also in the international commercial market.
For information on the NASA website
More of the topic in Hayadan:
- Is the Starliner spacecraft stuck in space? NASA answers frequently asked questions about the status of the astronauts' return
- Boeing performs critical Starliner engine test as NASA plans astronaut return
- Helium leaks and engine failures: the big drama in the docking of the Starliner at the space station
