NASA is delaying its next astronaut launch to allow more time at the International Space Station Boeing’s new crew compartment has problems.
The space agency said Tuesday that it will push SpaceX’s four-person flight from this month to next. The target is now September 24 at the earliest. Officials said that would give them more time to analyze Thrust and Leakage Problems crashed into Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft after takeoff in June, first time with crew on board.
Tuesday mark two month point at the space station for Starliner test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williamswho is expected to return in mid-June. NASA is considering all options to bring the two veteran astronauts back, including flying them home on a SpaceX spacecraft.
“NASA and Boeing continue to assess spacecraft readiness and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” NASA said in a statement. Further details are expected to be announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
There are only two docking ports at the space station that can accommodate US spacecraft, and both are currently occupied. So one will need to be cleared before the next SpaceX crew can arrive. Russia has its own docking facility for its Soyuz spacecraft.
This latest setback means the four astronauts who flew with SpaceX in March now face a longer-than-expected mission.
Over the past few weeks, Boeing has been conducting thruster tests on the ground and in space to better understand why five thrusters failed before Starliner arrived at the space station on June 6. All but one have returned to service. A helium leak in the capsule’s propulsion system also occurred.
Citing the test results, the company said late last week: “Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to safely return its crew.”
Boeing and SpaceX top NASA’s list of taxi services to ferry astronauts to and from the space station, after the space shuttle was retired in 2011. NASA has signed multibillion-dollar contracts with both companies to have backup plans in case one of them crashes.
SpaceX launched its first crewed mission in 2020; the upcoming flight will be NASA’s 10th. SpaceX has also launched several private crews into orbit.
Boeing has had to deal with numerous problems with the Starliner over the years. The company had to launch an empty Starliner twice before committing to a crew, and it had to repeat its initial flight test because of faulty software and other issues. The delays have cost the company more than $1 billion.
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