The return of astronauts from Starliner to Earth has been postponed due to technical problems: No new date set
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who took off on their first flight with the crew on a Boeing Starliner, will not return home from the International Space Station (ISS) until next month. This is much later than their originally scheduled return date of 14 June.
Here's What We Know
NASA announced the postponement and explained it by the need for additional verification of the problems that occurred with the Starliner during the flight. NASA and Boeing are trying to avoid situations where the astronauts' return to Earth may coincide with other important events or operations on the International Space Station (ISS), such as spacewalks.
A new date for the return to Earth has not yet been set.
The Starliner launched on 5 June and delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS about a day later. Their stay was supposed to last only a week, but during the flight, the engine system experienced four small helium leaks, in addition to the one already detected before launch.
Leaders from @NASA and @BoeingSpace are adjusting the June 26 return to Earth of the Crew Flight Test mission with @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from @Space_Station.
- NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) 22 June 2024
This adjustment deconflicts a series of spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to... pic.twitter.com/pjqz1zEu4g
When the Starliner first tried to approach the ISS and begin docking on 6 June, five of its 28 engines shut down. Boeing was able to restore four of them.
NASA also reported that a few days after the launch, the teams investigated a problem with a valve in the service module that was not properly closed.
The space agency had already postponed the return trip date several times last week and last set it for 26 June. However, now the flight will not take place until the spacewalks scheduled for 24 June and 2 July are completed.
Source: NASA
