ESPAÇO
Boeing Starliner retida no espaço
July 1, 2024 -
Problemas técnicos com a nave deixaram dois astronautas da NASA,
Butch Wilmore e Suni Williams, retidos num limbo a bordo da Estação Espacial Internacional
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams launched onboard Starliner on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission to the ISS.
As Starliner approached the space station a day after launch, five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed during docking. Four thrusters restarted, and the one faulty thruster has been turned off.
Starliner already had one small helium leak when it blasted into orbit, but four more sprung up during the flight. Helium is used to pressurize fuel for the thrusters.
On Friday (June 28), NASA said the astronauts were safe and would not set a return date.
“We’re not in any rush to come home,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.
Stich added that Starliner is designed for a mission of up to 210 days and that the rest of the capsule’s systems are “working well.”
- How Worried Should We Be about Starliner’s Stranded Astronauts? (Scientific American)
- Why NASA astronauts are delayed at the space station after Boeing Starliner launch (Associated Press)
- NASA astronauts will stay at the space station longer for more troubleshooting of Boeing capsule (Associated Press)