**Two American Astronauts Stranded in Space While Boeing Investigates Starliner Issues**
NASA and Boeing Co. have been grappling with significant challenges following the failed test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in December. The Starliner, designed to transport humans to space, failed to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) during its orbital flight test (OFT), prompting a thorough investigation into the issues, particularly software anomalies.
The ground-based flight control team’s intervention was crucial in preventing the Starliner from being lost, as stated by NASA. The spacecraft, already delayed and over budget, faced numerous anomalies during the OFT. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine mentioned that the joint investigation team is expected to conclude its probe and provide corrective recommendations by the end of February.
NASA will also conduct a comprehensive safety review, including interviews with employees at various levels, to understand the root cause of the software issues. Douglas Loverro, NASA’s associate administrator, emphasized the need to address the inconsistencies in the software design, development, and testing cycle for Starliner.
Boeing’s Starliner is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to develop commercially-operated crewed launch systems for reliable and cost-effective access to the ISS. Boeing’s competitor, SpaceX, has already conducted a successful orbital flight test and an in-flight abort test, positioning itself ahead in the race.
During the December test, faulty software caused the uncrewed Starliner capsule to miss an orbit-raising burn, leading to a series of short fuel burns at incorrect times. This resulted in the spacecraft reaching the wrong orbit without enough fuel to complete its primary objective of docking with the ISS. The mission was cut short from seven days to two.
The investigation has yet to determine why the ground control team lost communication with the Starliner, preventing them from maintaining command and control. Both NASA and Boeing have not committed to whether another orbital flight test will be required or when the Starliner may launch again.
The issues with Boeing’s Starliner come at a time when the US Congress is considering reducing the role of commercial space transportation providers in NASA’s human exploration programs. A recent bill aims to make Boeing NASA’s primary contractor for rockets and human landing systems for moon missions, potentially sidelining competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
The Trump administration has proposed a 12 percent increase in NASA’s 2021 budget, with significant funds allocated for sending US astronauts back to the moon by 2024. This includes $3 billion for human landing systems, which the administration wants multiple commercial interests to develop, own, and operate.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun mentioned that the company is taking a $410 million pre-tax charge to provision for an additional uncrewed mission for the Commercial Crew program, anticipating that NASA may require another orbital flight test.
NASA has completed its investigation into Boeing’s problematic first test flight of the Starliner crew capsule. The commercial crew vehicle, developed for NASA to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS, failed to reach the orbiting laboratory due to a series of glitches and software issues. An independent review team identified 61 corrective actions for Boeing to address on Starliner, which has now increased to 80 after a second review.
Boeing announced it will conduct a second uncrewed flight test with Starliner to demonstrate the spacecraft’s safety and reliability before any astronauts ride it to space. However, a launch date for this mission has not yet been set.
In February and March, NASA and Boeing revealed the results of separate investigations into two major anomalies that led to the partial failure of the OFT mission. The first issue was an incorrect time drawn by Starliner’s onboard timer from the Atlas V rocket, preventing the orbit insertion burn needed to reach the ISS. The second problem was a valve-mapping error with the software controlling Starliner’s thrusters, which could have led to an in-space collision.
NASA and Boeing have also wrapped up a separate investigation into a third major anomaly, which caused a temporary drop in communications between Starliner and ground control crews during the mission’s launch. This glitch left mission control unable to manually command Starliner to perform the orbit insertion burn after the onboard timer issue.
The joint NASA-Boeing review team has come up with 80 recommendations to implement before Starliner can fly again. These recommendations include process and operational improvements, testing and simulations, software updates, and hardware modifications.
NASA officials express confidence in Boeing and emphasize the importance of having another spacecraft, in addition to SpaceX’s, that can ferry astronauts to the ISS. The mission comes at a crucial time for Boeing, which has faced significant challenges in both its commercial aviation and space programs.
The first crewed flight of a new spacecraft is a critical milestone, and NASA officials stress the importance of protecting the lives of astronauts. The mission aims to see how the spacecraft performs in space with a crew onboard, with the goal of ensuring the spacecraft’s safety and reliability.
Boeing’s Starliner has faced numerous delays and cost overruns, with the company yet to fly people on the spacecraft. The delays have resulted in about $1.4 billion in cost overruns. Despite these challenges, Boeing remains committed to fulfilling its contract with NASA and ensuring the success of the Starliner program.
Source: NASA, Boeing, Space.com
