Starliner capsule can return without crew
Kyiv • UNN
Boeing plans to return the Starliner capsule from the ISS without astronauts due to technical problems. Two NASA astronauts will stay on the station longer than planned and return to SpaceX.
Boeing will try to return its malfunctioning capsule from the International Space Station later this week with empty seats.
Written by UNN with references to ArsTechnica and GEO.
Details
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is having problems and must return to Earth without two NASA astronauts.
Two NASA astronauts stranded on the Starliner will remain in the orbital laboratory.
The unusual maneuver was preceded by an odyssey in space for Starliner astronauts Sweeney Williams and Barry Wilmore. After the first manned launch of the American Boeing spacecraft in early June, they were supposed to spend only a week aboard the ISS after many delays. Now it is expected to be more than eight months.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson justified this decision by citing safety concerns about sending the Starliner with the crew to Earth. The reason for this was technical problems that arose after the launch, including engine problems and a helium leak. Since then, two astronauts have been stuck on the space station.
