Starliner astronauts to remain at ISS for now

NASA and Boeing hosted a news conference with mission leadership on Thursday, July 25, to provide the latest status of the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The spaceship was supposed to return to Earth weeks ago; but has been stranded there due to a series of helium leaks and issues with the thrusters/

While astronauts on the ship have been working on fixing the leaks, NASA and Boeing have been performing ground testing of the Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster complete with disassembly and inspections. Boeing said that the Starliner team is reviewing data that will aid in future missions and pave the way for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to someday return to Earth. NASA leadership did not say when that will be. The two astronauts remain stranded on the ISS.

The Boeing team said that a landing date for the Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) will be scheduled following the Flight Test Readiness Review planned for later next week. Boeing hope that the astronauts can return sometime in August.

Boeing officials said that the testing of the RCS thruster at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico resulted in meaningful findings for root cause assessments and to finalize flight rationale in support of a nominal undock and landing.

Mark Nappi is the Starliner program manager and a Boeing vice president.

"I'm very confident we have a good vehicle to bring the crew back with," Nappi said in the press conference."

The Starliner team plans to hot fire 27 of 28 RCS thrusters this weekend while safely docked to the space station. The team wants to verify the performance of thrusters, similar to what would be done during future missions. The team also wants another helium leak data point, which has remained stable since the spacecraft's arrival to station on June 6.

"Our mission was to get the crew to the ISS and that has been completed," Nappi said. "Our mission was to learn from a flight test. Now it's time to focus on returning the crew safely."

Wilmore, Williams and flight control teams participated in a power-up of the spacecraft on Thursday to load updated undock and landing software and download VESTA imagery. They also measured two floor panels within the Starliner Crew Module to support future powered-payload installations.

NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that the crew are in good spirits and enjoying time on station as part of the Expedition 71 crew. Both of the veteran astronauts have been on long-duration missions previously – even though this was not supposed to have been one. This was supposed to have been a ten day mission.

This is the Starliner crew's 50th day in space. Wilmore and Williams arrived at the orbiting laboratory on June 6, after lifting off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5. Since their arrival, the duo has been integrated with the Expedition 71 crew, performing scientific research and maintenance activities as needed.

Starliner is Boeing's entry into NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The ;purpose of the mission is an end-to-end test of the Starliner system. If Starliner successfully returns to Earth, NASA will begin the process of certifying Starliner for rotational missions to the International Space Station. The Commercial Crew Program already has Space X's Dragon spacecraft.

Boeing and NASA on Thursday provided updates on the Starliner space capsule's delayed return to Earth, saying that there is still no return date set as the two astronauts on board reach day 50 of what was supposed to be about a 10-day mission.

Stich told reporters that mission control was not ready to announce a return date for the two stranded astronauts and the Starliner.

"We don't have a major announcement today relative to a return date," Stich said. We're making great progress, but we're just not quite ready to do that."

Officials believe that degraded seals are the likely cause of both the helium leaks and the thruster issues.

Stich did acknowledge that NASA does have contingency plans for SpaceX's Dragon capsule to bring the astronauts home from the space station.

Starliner was largely constructed in Athens at the United Launch Alliance factory.

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