Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 02:52 pm
Washington – NASA has said that the flight to the ISS of SpaceX with a crew of astronauts will be delayed because of ongoing problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Starliner Propulsion System Anomalies
Spacecraft Starliner, carrying two NASA astronauts to the ISS in the first week of June, has been detained for two months as detected anomalies in its propulsion system were found. Now, such issues have added more to the ongoing uncertain return date for the mission.
Implications on Crew-9 Mission
With the SpaceX mission scheduled to leave by mid-August, the successive four ISS crew members, Crew-9, who were supposed to relieve the current Crew-8 ISS crew, are now left hanging in uncertainty. NASA is now making plans for how to return the other two astronauts to Earth.
Rescheduling and Adjustments
With this latest development, the Crew-9 mission will now launch no earlier than September 24. That mission could bring back the two stranded astronauts along with two Crew-8 members and give Boeing more time to solve the Starliner’s problems.
NASA’s Statement
“This adjustment provides more time.to complete return-of-flight planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” NASA said in a blog. The Starliner also had helium leaks during its journey and could return uncrewed unless the safety issue is resolved.
Ongoing Evaluations
NASA will also be holding a press conference on Wednesday to discuss both the Crew-9 mission and the Starliner spacecraft.