According to recent reports, two NASA astronauts encountered complications on their Boeing Starliner when attempting to return to Earth. As the spacecraft has had numerous issues, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have had their reentry delayed three times while engineers are Scrambling to resolve the problems. Meanwhile, the astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station (ISS).
Further complicating Wilmore and Williams’s predicament, they have a 45-day window to return to Earth as the Starliner craft is currently docked to the Harmon module, which has limited fuel supplies. Therefore, officials explained that there is a narrowing window to bring the duo safely back home.
Reports indicate that the Starline has endured five helium leaks along with five thrusters that have suddenly stopped working. Boeing, already dealing with numerous controversies regarding the quality control of its products, is facing intense scrutiny following the Starliner’s problems in outer space.
Users took to social media, suggesting that Elon Musk’s company, Space X, which is at the forefront of modern space innovation, may have to take matters into its own hands and rescue the astronauts. One person slammed Boeing, questioning how “terribly dangerous” the Starliner is.
“How terribly dangerous is Boeing’s Starliner? May need Space X to rescue its astronauts from ISS,” wrote a user who goes by the handle on X @NONbiasedly. Furthermore, Captain Coronado wrote, “Boeing Starliner literally falling apart in space right now … Deathtrap nearly killed the two astronauts during takeoff and trip to the ISS. Mismanagement at Boeing proving extremely dangerous!!”
However, space expert Jonathan McDowell weighed in on the issue, suggesting that the situation was not the crisis that many on social media are making it out to be. “You can lose a few thrusters and still be OK because there are many of them but still this is the propulsion system and you want to understand everything that’s going on,” he stated. “They want to be sure these smaller issues aren’t masking bigger ones.” McDowell suggested that the worst-case scenario for the astronauts would be waiting for Elon Musk’s Dragon spacecraft to voyage to the ISS later in August, where they could be rescued.
Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Starliner program manager, recently addressed the problems with the spacecraft at a news conference last week, where he acknowledged that the helium system is not functioning “as designed.” He said, “We’ve learned that our helium system is not performing as designed.” He added, “Albeit manageable, it’s still not working like we designed it. So we’ve got to go figure that out.”
As mentioned, Boeing has recently made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Earlier this year, The American Tribune reported that Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun would be stepping down from his role in the aviation company amid the perpetual controversy the company is finding itself embroiled in.
“My decision to step down as CEO at the end of this year is one the board has been prepared for and will result in a number of changes at a management and governance level moving forward,” Calhoun wrote in an internal message to employees in March.
Featured image credit: NASA TV, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starliner_approaches_the_ISS.jpg
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