The test flight of Starliner to the International Space Station is aimed at showcasing the spacecraft’s capability to safely transport astronauts to low Earth orbit and assess its various systems in space.
The launch of the capsule was delayed numerous times before finally taking off on June 5, several years behind schedule and significantly over budget.
According to NASA officials, the return date for the astronauts has not yet been determined, but they could potentially return after a spacewalk scheduled for July 2 from the International Space Station.
Officials mentioned that there is no urgency to depart as the space station has adequate supplies to accommodate the visitors. NASA will thoroughly investigate before approving the undocking of the capsule.
Wilmore and Williams are currently residing on the ISS alongside seven other crew members: NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominic, Tracy Dyson, and Janet Epps, as well as Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkhin, and Oleg Kononenko.
During their prolonged stay in space, Wilmore and Williams will assist in the operations of the space station and conduct various tests as part of the certification process for Starliner by NASA.
“Crew feedback has been extremely positive, and they recognize that all the insights gained during crew flight testing will enhance and refine the experience for future crew members,” stated Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Starliner program.
Ultimately, Boeing aims to provide scheduled flights to and from the space station for NASA, akin to the commercial services offered by SpaceX with its Crew Dragon spacecraft since 2020.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
