After years of delays, the vehicle was launched in June for a test mission lasting about a week. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without astronauts bound for the International Space Station (ISS) after NASA deemed it too risky.
It was announced that five of the 28 maneuvering thrusters failed during the Starliner’s locking onto the Space Station.
THEY WILL COME BACK WITH THE COMPETITOR COMPANY
Unexpected thruster failures and helium leaks en route to the ISS derailed those plans, and NASA ultimately decided it was safer to return crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard rival SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle, VOA reported.
The Boeing capsule made a soft landing at White Sands Spaceport in New Mexico, U.S. The capsule’s descent was slowed by parachutes and supported by airbags. The landing was completed approximately six hours after the capsule separated from the ISS.
EXPLANATION HAS ARRIVED
It was noteworthy that Boeing representatives were not present at the press conference held by NASA after the flight.
“It was a perfect landing,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program, speaking at the meeting. “The entry in particular was almost flawless.” Stich acknowledged that some new problems had arisen, including the failure of a new thruster and the temporary loss of guidance.
The Starliner program has faced numerous setbacks, from a software bug that prevented the capsule from rendezvousing with the ISS during the first uncrewed test flight in 2019 to flammable tape being found in the cabin after the second test in 2022 and the current problems.
