Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are currently stranded in space due to a malfunction in their spacecraft. NASA is actively working to resolve the issue.
The malfunction is linked to overheating thrusters, which NASA attributes to a design flaw in the Starliner spacecraft. This has caused complications in the mission.
NASA recently admitted to the design flaw causing the overheating thrusters. The flaw is related to the spacecraft’s propulsion pods, known as “doghouses.”
The overheating thrusters also affected the Starliner’s ability to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), posing additional challenges for the mission.
Engineers have been testing one of the spacecraft’s thrusters at the White Sands test facility in New Mexico. They identified that the doghouse design creates insulation, trapping heat and causing the thrusters to overheat.
In addition to the overheating issue, the thrusters have been firing more frequently and with greater force than expected. This was noted by Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager.
NASA is investigating the heating effects of the thruster pulses to ensure there are no unintended consequences from their increased activity.
The Boeing Starliner was initially scheduled for its first crewed mission in May. Technical issues delayed the launch until June 5, with astronauts Williams and Wilmore expected to spend a week in space.
Due to the thruster problems, the astronauts’ stay has been extended. However, NASA assures that there is no risk to their health, as the ISS has ample supplies for all crew members.
The ISS crew is scheduled for rotation in August, and NASA aims to resolve the issues and return the Starliner crew before the rotation. Efforts continue to address the overheating problem and safely bring the astronauts back to Earth. NASA and Boeing are focused on resolving the thruster issue to ensure the safe return of the astronauts and the success of future missions.