Two NASA astronauts have been in house for weeks longer than anticipated as Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft continues to endure repairs.
However the interstellar duo, flight commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and flight pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams, have managed to stay in constructive spirits, in line with a Wednesday press convention.
“We’re having a good time right here on ISS,” Williams mentioned Wednesday. “Butch and I’ve been up right here earlier than and it appears like coming again house. It feels good to drift round, it feels good to be in house and work up right here with the Worldwide House Station staff. It’s nice to be up right here so I’m not complaining, Butch isn’t complaining, that we’re right here for a pair additional weeks.”
After years of technical difficulties throughout its improvement, the Starliner departed Florida’s Cape Canaveral House Drive Station on June 5.
“Launch was spectacular. I imply, actually wonderful,” Wilmore mentioned Wednesday. “The spacecraft carried out unbelievably properly.”
The journey was initially presupposed to be a weeklong check drive of the brand new spaceship, however Wilmore and Williams have been on the Worldwide House Station since June 6 addressing helium leaks and different points, in line with NPR.
Regardless of the problems, Boeing beforehand advised HuffPost that the spacecraft has “by no means been ‘caught’ or ‘stranded’ on the ISS,” including that it’s cleared for return in case of an emergency.
“We’ve been by loads of simulations … and I feel the place we’re proper now, … if there was an issue with the Worldwide House Station, we might get in our spacecraft, we might undock, speak to our staff and determine one of the best ways to come back house,” Williams mentioned Wednesday.
Wilmore additionally mentioned he was “assured” that Starliner might get them again house.
There is no such thing as a particular date of return scheduled in the mean time. Nevertheless, Steve Stich, NASA’s Business Crew Program supervisor, mentioned at Wednesday’s press convention that the hope is to get Wilmore and Williams house by August, at which period extra astronauts will arrive on the ISS.
“That’s type of a again finish. I feel we’re actually working to attempt to comply with the information and see when’s the earliest that we might goal for undock and touchdown,” Stich mentioned. “A number of the knowledge counsel optimistically, possibly, it’s by the top of July, however we’ll simply comply with the information.”
