Boeing’s Starliner is supposed to bring back the astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the earth after they spend eight days in space. But their homebound trip has not been smooth-sailing because of some technical glitches they encountered.
Technical Issues:
- Helium Gas Leaks: First, there was helium leakage of which the first sign was felt before take-off and was considered not to be very serious. Nevertheless, four more leakage occurrences during the mission.
- Thruster Malfunctions: Some Maneuvering thrusters that were used during the approach to the ISS failed out of 28 but 4 of the thrusters were restarted.
NASA's Response:
- Review and Delay: NASA had to postpone the return again with the purpose to study the problems more closely. Another return date has been established to be in July waiting for the review of the issue.
- Safety Assurance: NASA has clarified that the astronauts are safe and Starliner is supplied with sufficient amount of helium for free flight for up to 70 hours while the normal period that is needed to return is seven hours only.
Expert Opinions:
- Dr. Adam Baker: contemplated that it would have been better if they had handled the leaks before the product’s launch and while this would have been time consuming and costly, it would have been the best thing to do.
- Dr. Simeon Barber: Said that such issues should have been addressed during other phases of the testing, specifically other uncrewed ones.
Future Considerations:
- Root Cause Analysis: Therefore, investigation and analysis of the sources of helium leaks and faulty thrusters are important for the next round of space missions.
- Contingency Plans: NASA and Boeing can arrange for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and its Dragon capsule to bring the astronauts back to Earth though this is a last resort.
Conclusion:
The case of Boeing’s Starliner is a Good example when it comes to space exploration and the need to make sure everything has been tested and prepared to the tee. NASA and Boeing continue to address the problems with the mission so that their astronauts can safely return back to Earth.