INDIAN AMERICAN astronaut Sunita Williams expressed confidence on Wednesday (10) in the ability of the Boeing Starliner to safely return her and fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS).
Williams and Wilmore were launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule on June 5 and docked at the ISS the next day, planning initially to spend about eight days. However, issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, including thruster failures and helium leaks, have extended their stay indefinitely.
“We’re absolutely confident,” Wilmore told reporters. “That mantra you’ve heard, failure is not an option.”
The ongoing investigation by NASA and Boeing into these issues is crucial for determining the timeline of their return. NASA’s commercial crew chief Steve Stich mentioned that testing of the thrusters in New Mexico has not yielded ideal results, and further analysis is needed before a decision can be made.
While the Crew Dragon capsule from SpaceX and a Russian Soyuz capsule remain docked at the ISS as alternatives, Stich affirmed that the current plan is to return Wilmore and Williams on Starliner, barring any unforeseen developments.
Boeing’s Starliner is permitted to remain docked to the ISS for up to 90 days if necessary, contingent upon the performance of its backup systems and battery health. However, the spacecraft is not cleared for non-emergency returns until the thruster issues are resolved.
