NASA, Boeing delay Starliner's return from ISS to June 26
NASA and Boeing have postponed the return of the Starliner capsule to Earth until at least June 26, due to ongoing thruster troubleshooting and the upcoming scheduled spacewalk. The Starliner is currently on its maiden human mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The landing, originally slated for early June, will now take place nearly three weeks post-launch at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 4:51am EDT (2:21pm IST).
Thruster issues delay Starliner's departure from ISS
The Crew Flight Test (CFT), Starliner's two-astronaut mission, was initially scheduled to spend approximately a week at the ISS, but its departure has been delayed considerably. NASA and Boeing are utilizing the additional time to further assess thruster issues, that affected Starliner's initial ISS docking attempt on June 6. Furthermore, a rescheduled ISS maintenance spacewalk is now slated for June 24, after it was postponed recently due to a "spacesuit discomfort" issue during suit-up.
Helium leaks and other problems under investigation
Steve Stich, Manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, confirmed that five of Starliner's 28 reaction control thrusters failed on June 6, although four later came back online. A small helium leak was also detected in one of Starliner's reaction control system (RCS) thrusters in early May, after a launch attempt was canceled becuase of the valve issue with the capsule's Atlas V rocket. Several new helium leaks have emerged since then, and an investigation is underway to determine their causes.
