Solutions For RealSolutions For Real
  • Home
  • News
  • Personal Finance
    • Savings
    • Banking
    • Mortgage
    • Retirement
    • Taxes
    • Wealth
  • Make Money
  • Budgeting
  • Burrow
  • Investing
  • Credit Cards
  • Loans

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest finance news and updates directly to your inbox.

Top News

Is Fear Triggering Early Social Security Benefit Claims?

July 5, 2025

This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

July 5, 2025

These Jobs Can Pay $100 an Hour (or More) Without a Degree

July 5, 2025
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Is Fear Triggering Early Social Security Benefit Claims?
  • This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars
  • These Jobs Can Pay $100 an Hour (or More) Without a Degree
  • How to Build a Side Hustle That Stands on Its Own — Without Burning Out Ready to take your side hustle to the next level? This article shows you how to turn it into its own unique brand that gets noticed and grows on its own.
  • 101 Small Business Ideas to Match Your Personality, Investment, Skills & Goals
  • Mortgage rates fall for fifth straight week, lowest since mid-April
  • What Seniors Need To Know About Congress’ Big Budget Bill
  • Big, Beautiful, and Baffling: What The Law May Mean for Your Finances
Sunday, July 6
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Solutions For RealSolutions For Real
Subscribe For Alerts
  • Home
  • News
  • Personal Finance
    • Savings
    • Banking
    • Mortgage
    • Retirement
    • Taxes
    • Wealth
  • Make Money
  • Budgeting
  • Burrow
  • Investing
  • Credit Cards
  • Loans
Solutions For RealSolutions For Real
Home » NASA astronauts voice confidence that Boeing Starliner will bring them home By Reuters
Investing

NASA astronauts voice confidence that Boeing Starliner will bring them home By Reuters

News RoomBy News RoomJuly 10, 20240 Views0
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email Tumblr Telegram

By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The first two astronauts to fly Boeing (NYSE:)’s Starliner capsule said from the International Space Station on Wednesday they were confident in the spacecraft’s ability to return them home whenever the company and NASA solve thruster issues that have kept them in space far longer than expected.

“I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home, no problem,” NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams said during the test crew’s first news conference since docking to the ISS more than a month ago.

Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, both veteran NASA astronauts and former U.S. Navy test pilots, were launched aboard Starliner from Florida on June 5 and docked the next day at the ISS, where they were initially scheduled to spend roughly eight days.

Several issues with Starliner’s propulsion system have extended their mission indefinitely. Five of Starliner’s 28 maneuvering thrusters failed during its trek to the station, a propellant valve did not properly close and there have been five leaks of helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters.

“We’re absolutely confident,” Wilmore told reporters. “That mantra you’ve heard, failure is not an option.”

“And that’s why we’re staying, because we’re going to test it. That’s what we do,” Wilmore said, acknowledging that an ongoing investigation by the U.S. space agency and Boeing involving thruster tests on Earth is key for their return.

The current test mission is Boeing’s final step before the spacecraft can clinch NASA certification for routine astronaut flights and become the second U.S. orbital capsule alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has dominated the nascent human spaceflight market amid Starliner’s development delays.

TESTING IN NEW MEXICO AND ALABAMA

To understand why some thrusters overheated and stopped working during Starliner’s flight to the ISS, NASA officials and Boeing engineers began test-firing identical thrusters at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range to try to replicate the mishaps.

At the same time, an investigation at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama aims to determine why a type of seal in Starliner’s propulsion system has let helium leak out.

The return of Wilmore and Williams to Earth on Starliner depends on the results of the thruster tests, according to NASA officials.

NASA’s commercial crew chief Steve Stich told reporters on Wednesday that “we’re taking our time” with the testing and that the results of the New Mexico thruster tests “are not quite what we would have hoped for.”

Stich said he hopes the testing will be completed by this weekend. Stich previously said this testing could last “a couple weeks,” followed by a detailed NASA review of the data to inform the agency’s decision on letting Starliner fly the astronauts home.

Also docked to the space station is SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule that ferried four astronauts to the ISS in March, and a Russian Soyuz capsule that delivered three others in September. Stich acknowledged that at least one of those vehicles could provide an alternative ride home for Wilmore and Williams.

“We have a little bit more time to go through the data, and then make a decision as to whether we need to do anything different” with the return plan, Stich said. “But the prime option today is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner. Right now, we don’t see any reason that wouldn’t be the case.”

Starliner is approved to stay docked to the ISS for 45 days – which would be July 21 – or up to 90 days using various backup systems and depending largely on the health of its lithium ion batteries, which have caused concerns in the past.

Though NASA and Boeing have said Starliner is capable of returning the astronauts to Earth in the event of an emergency on the ISS, the capsule is not approved to fly home under normal, non-emergency circumstances until its thruster issues are resolved or at least better understood.

A Russian satellite last month broke apart into some 180 pieces of debris near the space station’s orbit and forced astronauts into their various docked spacecraft, including Wilmore and Williams getting into Starliner, to prepare for a potential escape. Boeing cited the event as an example of Starliner’s readiness to return home if absolutely necessary.

Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Starliner chief, told reporters that such an emergency return scenario would simply involve Starliner undocking from the station and safely returning the crew to Earth, despite questions about the thrusters.

“I feel confident that if we had to, if there was a problem with the International Space Station, we can get in our spacecraft, and we can undock, talk to our team, and figure out the best way to come home,” Williams said.



Read the full article here

Featured
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Articles

This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

Burrow July 5, 2025

These Jobs Can Pay $100 an Hour (or More) Without a Degree

Make Money July 5, 2025

How to Build a Side Hustle That Stands on Its Own — Without Burning Out Ready to take your side hustle to the next level? This article shows you how to turn it into its own unique brand that gets noticed and grows on its own.

Make Money July 5, 2025

101 Small Business Ideas to Match Your Personality, Investment, Skills & Goals

Investing July 5, 2025

Big, Beautiful, and Baffling: What The Law May Mean for Your Finances

Burrow July 4, 2025

The 15 Best-Paying Big Cities for Construction Workers in America

Make Money July 4, 2025
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Demo
Top News

This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

July 5, 20250 Views

These Jobs Can Pay $100 an Hour (or More) Without a Degree

July 5, 20250 Views

How to Build a Side Hustle That Stands on Its Own — Without Burning Out Ready to take your side hustle to the next level? This article shows you how to turn it into its own unique brand that gets noticed and grows on its own.

July 5, 20250 Views

101 Small Business Ideas to Match Your Personality, Investment, Skills & Goals

July 5, 20250 Views
Don't Miss

Mortgage rates fall for fifth straight week, lowest since mid-April

By News RoomJuly 4, 2025

Mortgage rates fell for the fifth consecutive week to the lowest level since mid-April, mortgage…

What Seniors Need To Know About Congress’ Big Budget Bill

July 4, 2025

Big, Beautiful, and Baffling: What The Law May Mean for Your Finances

July 4, 2025

The 15 Best-Paying Big Cities for Construction Workers in America

July 4, 2025
About Us
About Us

Your number 1 source for the latest finance, making money, saving money and budgeting. follow us now to get the news that matters to you.

We're accepting new partnerships right now.

Email Us: [email protected]

Our Picks

Is Fear Triggering Early Social Security Benefit Claims?

July 5, 2025

This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

July 5, 2025

These Jobs Can Pay $100 an Hour (or More) Without a Degree

July 5, 2025
Most Popular

How To Manage Inherited IRA Rules That Can Surprise And Trap Heirs

January 18, 20251 Views

Is Fear Triggering Early Social Security Benefit Claims?

July 5, 20250 Views

This $6 Aldi Find Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

July 5, 20250 Views
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Dribbble
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press Release
  • Advertise
  • Contact
© 2025 Solutions For Real. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.