Nasa has announced a delay in the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) due to ongoing issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
The Starliner, which transported two Nasa astronauts to the ISS in early June, has been docked at the station for the past two months because of anomalies detected in its propulsion system during the flight.As a result, the return date for the mission remains uncertain.
Originally scheduled for mid-August, the SpaceX Crew-9 flight was intended to bring the next group of four ISS crew members to relieve the current Crew-8 team. However, with the two additional astronauts stranded on the ISS, Nasa has had to develop a plan to bring them back to Earth.
The revised plan involves postponing the Crew-9 launch until at least September 24. This mission could potentially bring back the two stranded astronauts along with only two Crew-8 members, allowing Boeing more time to address the issues with its spacecraft.
“This adjustment allows more time…to finalise return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” the US space agency said in a blog post.
In addition to the propulsion system anomalies, the Starliner also experienced helium leaks during its voyage. If the safety issues cannot be resolved, the spacecraft may have to return unmanned.
“Nasa and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” the post continued. Nasa plans to provide updates on both the Crew-9 mission and the Starliner spacecraft during a press conference on Wednesday.
The Starliner, which transported two Nasa astronauts to the ISS in early June, has been docked at the station for the past two months because of anomalies detected in its propulsion system during the flight.As a result, the return date for the mission remains uncertain.
Originally scheduled for mid-August, the SpaceX Crew-9 flight was intended to bring the next group of four ISS crew members to relieve the current Crew-8 team. However, with the two additional astronauts stranded on the ISS, Nasa has had to develop a plan to bring them back to Earth.
The revised plan involves postponing the Crew-9 launch until at least September 24. This mission could potentially bring back the two stranded astronauts along with only two Crew-8 members, allowing Boeing more time to address the issues with its spacecraft.
“This adjustment allows more time…to finalise return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” the US space agency said in a blog post.
In addition to the propulsion system anomalies, the Starliner also experienced helium leaks during its voyage. If the safety issues cannot be resolved, the spacecraft may have to return unmanned.
“Nasa and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” the post continued. Nasa plans to provide updates on both the Crew-9 mission and the Starliner spacecraft during a press conference on Wednesday.
