Saurban
  • Home
  • News
  • Local
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Boeing plans to send back empty capsule, leaving NASA astronauts behind
Share
SaurbanSaurban
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • News
  • Local
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Search
  • Home
  • News
  • Local
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
Saurban © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Saurban > Blog > News > Boeing plans to send back empty capsule, leaving NASA astronauts behind
News

Boeing plans to send back empty capsule, leaving NASA astronauts behind

San Antonio Urban Editorial Team
Last updated: 2024/09/04 at 4:25 PM
San Antonio Urban Editorial Team Published September 4, 2024
Share
Boeing plans to send back empty capsule, leaving NASA astronauts behind

Exciting Space News: Boeing’s Starliner Capsule Set to Return from ISS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Boeing will attempt to return its problem-plagued capsule from the International Space Station later this week — with empty seats.

NASA said Wednesday that everything is on track for the Starliner capsule to undock from the space station Friday evening. The fully automated capsule will aim for a touchdown in New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range six hours later.

NASA’s two stuck astronauts who flew up on Starliner will remain behind at the orbiting lab. They’ll ride home with SpaceX in February, eight months after launching on what should have been a weeklong test flight. Thruster trouble and helium leaks kept delaying their return until NASA decided that it was too risky for them to accompany Starliner back as originally planned.

“It’s been a journey to get here and we’re excited to have Starliner” come home, said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.

NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are now considered full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board, helping with experiments and maintenance.

To make room for them on SpaceX’s next taxi flight, the Dragon capsule will launch with two astronauts instead of the usual four. Two were cut late last week from the six-month expedition, which is due to blast off in late September. Boeing has to free up the parking place for SpaceX’s arrival.

Boeing encountered serious flaws with Starliner long before its June 5 liftoff on the long-delayed astronaut demo.

Starliner’s first test flight went so poorly in 2019 — the capsule never reached the space station because of software errors — that the mission was repeated three years later. More problems surfaced, resulting in even more delays and more than $1 billion in repairs.

The capsule had suffered multiple thruster failures and propulsion-system helium leaks by the time it pulled up at the space station after launch. Boeing conducted extensive thruster tests in space and on the ground, and contended the capsule could safely bring the astronauts back. But NASA disagreed, setting the complex ride swap in motion.

The stuck astronauts — retired Navy captains — have lived on the space station before and settled in just fine, according to NASA officials.

NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to ferry its astronauts to and from the space station after its shuttles retired. SpaceX accomplished the feat in 2020 and has since launched nine crews for NASA and four for private customers.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

You Might Also Like

SA survivor speaks on change as Texas Council on Family Violence reveals 2023 DV stats

Dominican Republic to deport 10K Haitians/week, claiming ‘excess’ immigrants

ACLU lawsuit reveals DWI scandal in Albuquerque police

Don’t Expect Cooler Weather in San Antonio This October

Coach commends Tim Walz’s son for safeguarding fellow students post-shooting.

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
San Antonio Urban Editorial Team September 4, 2024 September 4, 2024
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article The War on Drugs to release live album before tour with The National The War on Drugs to release live album before tour with The National
Next Article Determine When AI Poses a Threat: Regulators Calculate Power Determine When AI Poses a Threat: Regulators Calculate Power
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow US

Find US on Socials
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow

Subscribe to our newslettern

Get Newest Articles Instantly!

- Advertisement -
Ad image
Popular News
Seguin business hosting free mental health fair this Saturday
Seguin business hosting free mental health fair this Saturday
Trump to attend Black journalists’ convention in Chicago
Trump to attend Black journalists’ convention in Chicago
Tech Raptor: Pioneering AI Solutions for a Digital Future
Tech Raptor: Pioneering AI Solutions for a Digital Future

Follow Us on Socials

We use social media to react to breaking news, update supporters and share information

Twitter Youtube Telegram Linkedin
Saurban

Discover the stories that make San Antonio unique, with in-depth coverage and timely updates on local news and events..

Subscribe to our newsletter

You can be the first to find out the latest news and tips

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Reading: Boeing plans to send back empty capsule, leaving NASA astronauts behind
Share
Saurban © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?