On Tuesday, NASA said it was postponing the flight of four SpaceX astronauts from August to September, now scheduled for September 24 at the earliest, to give them more time to analyze engine problems and leaks in the Boeing Starliner capsule, the Associated Press reports, UNN reports.
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Tuesday marked two months on the space station for Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were supposed to return by mid-June. NASA is considering all options for the return of the two veteran astronauts, including delivery home in a SpaceX capsule, which means that the astronauts could return home in February 2025, Reuters reports.
"NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the readiness of the spacecraft, and no decisions have been made regarding the return of the Starliner," NASA said in a statement. More information is expected at a press conference scheduled for Wednesday.
There are only two docking ports on the space station that can accept capsules from American astronauts, and both are currently occupied. Therefore, one of them must be freed up before the next SpaceX crew arrives. Russia has its own parking spaces for Soyuz capsules.
The latest setback means that the four astronauts who left in March on a SpaceX ship will now face a longer mission than planned.
Over the past few weeks, Boeing has been conducting test launches of thrusters on the ground and in space to better understand why five thrusters failed before the Starliner arrived at the space station on June 6. All but one of them have been restarted. Helium leaks were also detected in the capsule's propulsion system.
Referring to the test results, the company said late last week: "Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with its crew.
Boeing has had to overcome many problems with the Starliner over the years. The company had to launch an empty Starliner twice before committing to a crew, repeating the initial flight tests due to bad software and other problems. These delays cost the company more than $1 billion.
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