At this point, the problems at Boeing have been widely covered. Take this aircraft almost falling out of the sky as just a recent example. Now, two U.S. astronauts are stranded in space thanks to the latest mishap. Both astronauts were supposed to return home, but they're now stuck at the International Space Station.
Their return to Earth has been delayed by nearly two weeks due to flaws with Boeing's spacecraft. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to board the Boeing Starliner in early June. However, it's been delayed until June 26 at the earliest as I'm just now learning.
According to officials, the Boeing spacecraft has both helium leaks and thruster issues. It's the latest setback in the company's space program. This was Boeing's first crewed mission after more than 10 years of planning. The company aborted two previous launches. Both astronauts went to the ISS on June 6. They were only supposed to stay a week and return, but their return has seen delays.
According to officials, the spacecraft's thrusters experienced issues as it neared the ISS. Five shut down and four had to be switched back on. There were also several minor leaks. NASA and Boeing want to analyze the spacecraft to ensure that it's safe for the return journey. While stranded in space isn't words that any astronaut wants to hear, it's not all doom and gloom. The ISS has four Americans and three Russian astronauts as part of its longterm crew. It also has months' worth of food.
Boeing Spacecraft Experiences Problem
"I think we're taking our extra time, given that this is a crewed vehicle, and we want to make sure that we haven't left any stone unturned," NASA's Steve Stich told a press conference. "So far, we don't see any scenario where Starliner is not going to be able to bring Butch and Suni home."
However, the setbacks are a blow for Boeing. The company wants to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX as the go-to for NASA. However, there's been set back after set back. Stich said they're doing everything to make sure that both astronauts make it back home safe and sound.
"We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," Stich wrote in a statement. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking."
