Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The return of NASA’s Starliner spacecraft, carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, has been postponed for the third time without a new scheduled date. This delay comes after Boeing encountered multiple helium leaks onboard the spacecraft following its launch, which they have been unable to resolve.
Before the launch, NASA was informed of a helium leak, as reported by CBS, but deemed it insignificant in terms of safety concerns. However, after reaching orbit, the spacecraft experienced four additional helium leaks, rendering one thruster inoperable.
Despite encountering numerous failures over the past six years during its production and testing phases, Boeing’s Starliner project received approval from NASA to proceed with crewed flights. Let’s examine the challenging journey of the spacecraft’s construction process.
Boeing’s Starliner project faced delays from its original 2017 test launch schedule to early 2018, later pushed to late 2018 due to supplier holdups and production problems with Spacecraft 2.
Originally set for November 2018, the first two-person flight of the Starliner was postponed to 2019 or 2020. NASA expanded the crew size and mission duration to potentially six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In 2016, a contract modification saw NASA paying Boeing an additional $287.2 million to ensure continued crewed mission capabilities amid anticipated ISS flight gaps, committing to six missions instead of four.
Following the failure of the first uncrewed orbital test flight in late 2019, Boeing funded a second attempt, OFT 2, which faced delays and technical issues before successfully launching in May 2022 after corrective actions.
The Crew Flight Test, initially planned for July 2023, faced indefinite postponement due to issues with the parachute system and wiring harnesses crucial for crew safety.
Despite setbacks, in June 2024, Boeing’s Starliner launched with humans on board as part of the Crew Flight Test mission after 5 launch delays.
During its journey to the ISS, five thrusters on Starliner experienced malfunctions, but the crew successfully restored their functionality, resulting in a successful docking.
Following three delays in its return flight, Boeing Starliner currently lacks a scheduled landing date. The crew has a total of 45 days to safely return, with 18 days already passed.