Boeing delays Starliner fix before first crewed ISS flight

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been beset by a series of technical issues since its development began in 2010. Despite being intended to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), it has yet to fulfill this purpose, allowing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule to surge ahead.

The vessel was originally scheduled to fly astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the orbital outpost on May 6. However, the mission was scrubbed mere hours before liftoff due to a faulty valve discovered on the United Launch Alliance rocket carrying Starliner.

As if that wasn’t enough, additional problems surfaced, including a helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, which houses the propulsion system. While the faulty rocket valve has been replaced, Boeing and NASA have made the decision to proceed with the ISS mission without fixing a small seal responsible for the helium leak.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, expressed confidence in their ability to manage the leak, stating, “We can handle this particular leak if that leak rate were to grow even up to 100 times.” He further noted that the leak impacts just one of the 28 thrusters used for attitude control.

When questioned about not replacing the leaking seal, Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice president for the commercial crew program, cited the complexity of the process, which would involve disassembling Starliner at its factory – a “quite involved” undertaking.

Despite the helium leak, NASA and Boeing remain committed to proceeding with the Starliner’s first crewed mission to the ISS. The primary objectives of this flight are to validate the spacecraft’s capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the orbiting laboratory, as well as testing its various systems and procedures in a real-world operational environment.

Stich emphasized that flying with minor leaks is not unprecedented, stating that “space shuttles encountered similar problems at times, and we’ve had a couple of cases with Dragon where we’ve had a few small leaks as well.” However, stringent monitoring and contingency plans will be in place throughout the mission to ensure the safety of the crew and the success of the operation.

Among the key contingencies, NASA has outlined the following measures:

• Continuous monitoring of the helium leak rate, with abort procedures in place if the leak exceeds predetermined thresholds.
• Redundant thruster systems to compensate for any potential loss of attitude control due to the affected thruster.
• Emergency procedures for the crew to swiftly return to Earth in the event of critical system failures or safety concerns.

Furthermore, the mission timeline has been carefully crafted to minimize the potential impact of the helium leak. The Starliner is scheduled to dock with the ISS within 24 hours of launch, reducing the time spent relying on the affected propulsion system.

While the helium leak adds an additional layer of complexity to the mission, both NASA and Boeing remain confident in their ability to execute a successful crewed flight to the ISS. This mission represents an important step in certifying Starliner as a reliable means of transporting astronauts to and from the orbiting laboratory, further expanding the capabilities of the United States space program.