In light of the uncertainties surrounding the problematic trip, retired Space Shuttle commander Eileen Collins says Boeing Co.’s faith in the Starliner space capsule’s capacity to return NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home to Earth “speaks volumes.”
NASA’s discussion last week about the potential of returning Wilmore and Williams to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft marked a significant turning point in the Starliner narrative. However, Boeing BA 2.82% stated that Starliner could still safely return Wilmore and Williams home in a statement issued following NASA’s press announcement on August 7.
The corporation stated, “Crew Flight Test is currently a crewed mission, and we still believe in Starliner’s capability and its flight rationale,” “If NASA decides to change the mission, we will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return.”
Collins believes that Boeing’s clear statement is notable. Collins is the author of “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission,”
The former astronaut worked for NASA for 16 years, during which she flew four Space Shuttle missions. In 2005, she served as the mission commander on STS-114, the first “Return to Flight” mission following the 2003 Columbia disaster. The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch in 1986, shocking NASA seventeen years before the Columbia disaster.
Collins stated, “NASA employees are taught the lessons learned from these two accidents.” “Because of that, the engineers are willing to speak up and managers are more willing to listen.”
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, stated the organization wants to “drive some more consensus amongst our team” over Starliner during last week’s news conference.
“I have to admit that sometimes, when we get disagreement, it’s not fun, it can be painful having those discussions — but it’s what makes us a good organization and it’s what will get us to a good decision,” he stated.
Since the ship’s June 5 launch into orbit, NASA and Boeing have struggled with thruster problems and helium leaks on the Starliner. Before returning Wilmore and Williams home, the capsule was originally supposed to be docked with the International Space Station for at least eight days. But now that the crew is aboard the space station, they have spent more than 60 days there.
No sooner than September 24, SpaceX Crew Dragon flight Crew-9 is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) and return to Earth in February 2025. If Wilmore and Williams are sent back to the ISS by the SpaceX rocket, that would mean that two astronauts instead of four will launch to the ISS in September. Additionally, it would imply that Starliner would disembark from the space station and make an unmanned return to Earth.
NASA stated at the press conference last week that a decision has not yet been made about Wilmore and Williams’ mode of transportation back to Earth—Starliner or SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. By the middle of August, a definitive decision regarding the astronauts’ return trip is anticipated.
Collins believes that Starliner will eventually help NASA, despite the spacecraft’s issues. Although Starliner is going through some teething pains, she believes the company will succeed in the long run.
The astronaut added that she personally knows Wilmore and Williams. She said, “They are highly competent test pilots; they are steady, solid decision-makers, they are good test pilots,” “If I were Butch and Suni, I would insist on daily updates from NASA as well as Boeing.”
