Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
NASA's Boeing Starliner, set for its first crewed mission to the International Space Station on June 1, faces uncertainty after encountering a helium leak and almost 4 delays in a single month. NASA and Boeing officials are carefully weighing the decision to proceed.
Credit : NASA
NASA's Ken Bowersox emphasized the complexity of the situation, noting that addressing the issues has taken considerable time, causing delays and few updates in recent weeks.
The helium leak, found after a previous delay due to an oxygen relief valve issue, has pushed the launch date multiple times. The leak was detected in one of the spacecraft's reaction control system thrusters.
A special delta flight readiness review on May 29 will assess the helium leak and potential deorbit burn changes. NASA plans another briefing on May 30 to discuss the outcomes and next steps.
During the teleconference, NASA and Boeing officials stated that if the Starliner leak had occurred in space, they would have found ways to manage it. They emphasized that the leak was small and highlighted that hardware can fail unexpectedly, even on fully certified spacecraft systems.
Despite the leak, engineers have tested the system and developed backup plans, including a modified deorbit burn. The Starliner can handle additional thruster leaks, ensuring redundancy for safe return to Earth.
Starliner has several launch windows in early June, though parts of the Atlas V rocket have expiration dates. The team remains flexible, and NASA emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues thoroughly before the mission proceeds.