NASA has asked SpaceX to prepare a Dragon spacecraft as part of a contingency plan to return a pair of astronauts to Earth who have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for two months after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned on the outward journey. The second orbital flight test of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched on June 5 carrying astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore on a proving flight to the ISS. If all had gone to plan, it would have been the final milestone on a costly, and delay-ridden road to getting the capsule certified to fly human crew to and from the orbital outpost, alongside SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
However, soon after launch Starliner’s reaction control system (RCS) thrusters — which govern the capsule’s orientation in space — ran into technical issues, and helium fuel was discovered escaping from the experimental spacecraft. Starliner was able to dock with the orbital outpost. However, the issues have seen Wilmore and Williams planned eight-day sojourn aboard the ISS stretch into a protracted two month stay, while NASA and Boeing personnel attempt to get to the bottom of the malfunctions, and figure out whether Starliner is fit to transport to pair home.
NASA and Boeing teams continue analyzing data from recent ground and spacecraft testing as they evaluate the #Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system during NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. Read more: https://t.co/Zbom3pEcmo pic.
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