Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were strapped into their “lifeboats” and prepared for an emergency evacuation after a defunct Russian satellite shattered into hundreds of pieces.
That includes the affected Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which officials say could have reached Earth if debris crashed into the ISS.
“We used the Starliner for this safe haven opportunity,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
“(The astronauts) boarded the spacecraft, powered up the vehicle, closed the hatch and were ready to perform a … emergency release (from the ISS) and landing.”
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Starliner’s June 5 launch, with astronauts Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard, was Boeing’s first manned expedition to the ISS since 2014, when Boeing and NASA agreed to a $4.2 billion public-private partnership.
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A helium leak in the propulsion system and faulty thrusters turned the week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
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The Starliner is docked to the ISS while engineers collect data to fix the problems.
The helium leaks “are all stable and do not pose a problem for a return mission,” according to Boeing, and four of the five thrusters that were shut down are “operating normally.”
“I want to be clear that Butch and Sunny are not stranded in space,” Stich said during Friday’s conference call with about two dozen news outlets. “Our plan is to continue to bring them back with the Starliner and bring them home at the right time.”
When that will happen remains unknown.
Reporters peppered Boeing and NASA with questions, seeking details about their plans to return Williams and Wilmore home and disputing officials’ claims that the astronauts were not stranded, although there was no timetable for their return.
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“We still have some work to do to get to the final return,” Stich said. “We are in no hurry to go home.”
NASA and Boeing have repeatedly said the astronauts are safe and “in good spirits,” while emphasizing that this is a good opportunity to collect more data.
Preparations for further tests on Earth are underway. The thrusters were brought to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, where testing could begin as early as Tuesday.
That’s expected to last “several weeks,” according to Stich, adding that it will determine the astronauts’ return schedule.
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“This is our opportunity to explore the thruster, just as we have in space, with a detailed inspection on the ground,” he said.
Boeing said in a previous email to Fox News Digital that it was imperative to take advantage of the time they had and gather as much data as possible because the problematic service module, where the helium leaks occurred and the faulty thrusters are located, is discarded when the crew leaves the ISS.
They burn up in the atmosphere on re-entry, so they cannot be tested.
Boeing and SpaceX funded by Elon Musk programs are major players in NASA’s CCP, which will allow NASA to send astronauts and cargo to the ISS without relying on Russia.
The CCP was launched under former President Obama in 2010, a year before NASA retired the Space Shuttle after 30 years.
To get cargo and astronauts to the ISS, the US relies on Russia, spending about $90 million per astronaut for each round trip.
In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts to NASA after a lengthy competition that brought the average cost down to less than $70 million per astronaut.
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SpaceX has had numerous successful manned launches since its first in 2020.
The Starliner launch on June 5 was Boeing’s first manned expedition to the ISS, but a series of problems turned the week-long mission into an indefinite stay in space.
Officials on Friday emphasized that this was a “test flight” and there were many deliveries. They said Williams and Wilmore were “in good spirits.”
Original article source: The Starliner was the astronauts’ “lifeboat” if the crashed Russian satellite hit the space station; no return date yet
