by NASA management was in deep discussion this week about whether to return the agency’s astronauts aboard Boeing’s misfiring Starliner capsule or go with the alternative of using SpaceX craft to rescue the crew.
The agency is concerned with Starliner – which NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew to the International Space Station in early June – because the root cause of why some of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed during the bay, said a person familiar with the situation. CNBC.
NASA this week is discussing the possibility of returning Starliner empty and instead using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring back its astronauts. There is no consensus among those responsible for making the decision, the person said, adding that the outcome of NASA’s ongoing discussions cannot be predicted given the variety of factors involved.
The Starliner capsule “Calypso” has now been in space for 59 days and counting. The mission is intended to serve as the final step toward proving that Boeing’s long-delayed spacecraft are safe to fly long-duration crewed missions to and from the ISS.
The Boeing crew’s flight was originally planned to last at least nine days. But it has been extended several times and the company and NASA carry out tests back on the ground and in space to try to understand the thruster problem.
Although NASA and Boeing leadership have publicly characterized the extensions as a data-gathering exercise, the concerns raised in recent days indicate that there is less confidence internally about whether Starliner is safe to return astronauts than has been revealed. the agency.
Ars Technica first reported NASA’s mixed opinion on the Starliner situation. NASA has previously noted that SpaceX is a backup but tried to downplay that possibility, calling Boeing’s spacecraft the “primary option” for a return.
For its part, Boeing says it has the “flight rationale” to return Starliner with the astronauts on board, meaning the company believes the spacecraft can return without too much risk.
“We continue to have confidence in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with the crew. We are supporting NASA’s requests for additional data, analysis and data reviews to confirm the spacecraft’s safe recovery and landing capabilities,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC on Friday.
If Starliner returns empty, the most likely alternative is to return the astronauts using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon by removing two astronauts from the Crew-9 mission – which is currently scheduled to launch four in the coming weeks. That would open up two seats for Wilmore and Williams.
NASA did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the ongoing Starliner debate, but told Ars Technica in a statement that the agency is “evaluating all options for the return.”
“No decisions have been made and the agency will continue to provide updates on its planning,” NASA said.
Trusting the intellect
After testing last weekend, NASA noted that 27 of the 28 Starliner thrusters appear to be healthy. The thrusters, also known as reaction control system, or RCS, engines, help the spacecraft move in orbit.
But from an engineering point of view, since there is no root cause for why five of the thrusters failed on the flight to the ISS, there is always the risk that more thrusters will malfunction during the return flight.
Boeing’s Mark Nappi, vice president of the Starliner program, said during a July 25 press conference that testing of the struts had “very significant” results that “probably are the root cause.” But despite that, the company has not yet identified the root cause.
“We’re going to keep taking that hardware apart so we can finally create this,” Nappi said at the time.
NASA must now decide if it is willing to trust that the unknown issue with the Starliner thrusters will not reoccur, or even that there may be other problems.
An unpredictable outcome
NASA’s lack of consensus came to light when the Commercial Crew Program Control Board met earlier this week to discuss the return of Starliner. PCBs are a standard part of NASA’s decision-making process, dating back to the Space Shuttle era, and are an attempt to ensure that any risks can be escalated to the highest levels of agency authority.
The PCB, chaired by Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stich, did not reach a decision on whether to proceed with a flight readiness review, the major agency’s next step toward establishing a date for a Starliner return. The next PCB meeting is expected in the coming days, with NASA noting in a blog post on Thursday that planning will continue back into next week.
If any member of the PCB agrees with the decision to return Starliner to the team, the decision would go up the chain of command until the disagreement is addressed. As it stands, the outcome of the discussion within the PCB is not predictable as NASA personnel discuss the level of risk associated with a crew returning to Starliner.
Making a choice
NASA often emphasizes that “astronaut safety remains a top priority” for the agency when making decisions about human spaceflight, an endeavor that carries inherent risk.
But the choice NASA faces has additional ramifications, threatening Boeing’s participation in the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Already, Boeing Starliner’s losses total more than $1.5 billion due to repeated difficulties and years of delays in the spacecraft’s development.
If NASA backs Boeing and returns Wilmore and Williams to Starliner, the agency is taking on an amount of risk that cannot be measured right now. A major failure during return, and the lives of the astronauts at risk, would put NASA leadership under pressure to end Boeing’s contract and its participation in the program.
If NASA decides to send Starliner back empty, it is a vote of no confidence in Boeing that could cause the company to cut its losses and withdraw from the program.
In addition, if NASA takes SpaceX’s option and Starliner returns home without incident, the agency must be looking at an overreaction to a situation it has publicly declared for weeks that it was not a significant risk.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
