NASA and Boeing managers knew their Starliner rocket had a leak before launch, but believed it was too small to pose a threat — as two astronauts now remain stranded on the International Space Station because of the problem, new reports say.
Officials discovered a helium leak in the troubled Starliner before its June 5 launch, but NASA and Boeing executives said the rocket was ready because the problem was believed to be too minor to pose a threat to the spacecraft’s safety. said CBS News. The launch date of the missile was already postponed due to another leak.
Then, once in orbit, four more helium leaks developed, with one thruster officially deemed unusable.
The return trip of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams has now been postponed until at least July 2.
Boeing has borne the brunt of criticism for the Starliner’s current plight.
The company has already come under fire following high-profile malfunctions on its planes in the past year, with at least 20 whistleblowers raising concerns about safety and quality issues at the aerospace giant.
Wilmore and Williams were scheduled to return home June 13 after a week on the ISS, but their return date remains up in the air as engineers continue to analyze and test for helium leaks and damage to the Starliner’s thrusters, NASA said.
“We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said in a statement.
“We let the data drive our decision-making in terms of managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance that we observed during rendezvous and docking,” he added.
Stitch claims that despite the problems, NASA still has confidence in Starliner, claiming that the spacecraft “performed well in orbit while attached to the space station.”
NASA officials dismissed the idea that Wilmore and Williams remained on the ISS, saying the duo still had permission to detach and fly home at any time if a serious problem arose.
But problems and tests being conducted by NASA and Boeing call into question whether the Starliner will be able to make its six-hour return trip.
Boeing has spent about $1.5 billion to exceed the original $4.5 billion contract it secured with NASA, which hopes to make the Starliner its second shuttle to the ISS alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Recurring problems with leaking Starliners could threaten that future and further damage Boeing’s already troubled reputation in the space industry.
The company has been plagued by safety concerns since the start of the year, when a door panel tore off an Alaskan Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 after four key bolts appeared to be missing.
Jennifer Homendi, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, later noted ongoing problems with Boeing’s production line, with several whistleblowers saying they felt forced to remain silent when they noticed defects on the line.
Boeing did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
