Following multiple reports claiming that two astronauts sent to the orbiting laboratory on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft earlier this month are stranded after a suspected helium leak, NASA and Boeing officials said they will investigate before the astronauts return. Using the “luxury of time” to learn more. to earth.
"I want to make it clear that we are in no rush to get home," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said during a news conference late Friday night (US time).
"The station is a good, safe place to stop and take our time to work through the vehicle and make sure we're ready to come home," he said.
NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the performance of Starliner's propulsion system prior to its return to Earth from the orbiting laboratory.
The US space agency said they are now targeting the end of July for the next spacewalk outside the space station.
This change allows teams on the ground to troubleshoot and understand the water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit, which led to the early termination of the spacewalk on June 24.
Originally scheduled to spend eight days in the orbiting space laboratory, the astronauts arrived at the ISS on June 6.
According to NASA, the spacecraft requires seven hours of time to complete a normal end of mission and "currently has enough helium left in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity after undocking." "
"I want to make it clear that we are in no rush to get home," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said during a news conference late Friday night (US time).
"The station is a good, safe place to stop and take our time to work through the vehicle and make sure we're ready to come home," he said.
NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the performance of Starliner's propulsion system prior to its return to Earth from the orbiting laboratory.
The US space agency said they are now targeting the end of July for the next spacewalk outside the space station.
This change allows teams on the ground to troubleshoot and understand the water leak in the service and cooling umbilical unit, which led to the early termination of the spacewalk on June 24.
Originally scheduled to spend eight days in the orbiting space laboratory, the astronauts arrived at the ISS on June 6.
According to NASA, the spacecraft requires seven hours of time to complete a normal end of mission and "currently has enough helium left in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity after undocking." "
