The space mission was going to be short. US astronauts Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore departed Florida and arrived at the International Space Station on June 6, with plans to remain aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for a week. After all, at least they would stay 20 day Far from home (and planet Earth) because technical problems What the vehicle was exposed to during the flight, including helium leaks and thrusters that suddenly stopped working.
Setbacks occurred in the first phase of the journey, going to the space station, and prompted NASA to postpone the second half of the mission. On Tuesday, the North American Space Agency reported CNN InternationalAnnounced that Williams and Willmore He won't be back until June 26th. Space engineers are now trying to better understand the spacecraft's problems while it is safely connected to the space station.
Boeing wants to celebrate its biggest achievement in June: carrying two NASA astronauts on a round trip to the International Space Station, proving that in the future the capsule will be able to transport crew and begin space exploration by non-professionals. There is still half way to achieving the goal that the airline has set for itself.
The first astronauts transported by Boeing arrived to the space station
As he explained BoeingAfter separation, the Starliner will descend under a parachute to land in the White Sands Desert, in the North American state of New Mexico. If the landing is successful, it will mark the first time that an American capsule has landed with astronauts on board.
Starliner's journey to this historic crewed test mission began in 2014, when NASA asked Boeing and SpaceX to develop a spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX remains at the forefront of the space race, having safely completed its first crewed mission in 2020. The vehicle has flown regularly with astronauts and customers since then.
The delay in the Starliner astronauts' return home adds to the chorus of unfavorable news following Boeing, especially regarding technical failures on commercial aircraft.
The Boeing plane “fell” very quickly and was just a few meters away from crashing into the ocean near Hawaii
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