NASA and Boeing announced that they expect to bring the Starliner and its first astronauts back to Earth from the International Space Station on June 18, which is later than originally planned, as mission analysts are studying issues that could affect its return.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft was originally scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Friday and return to Earth on June 5, following the launch of its first two NASA astronauts from Florida. This mission is a crucial test for NASA before certifying Starliner for regular flights.
When scheduling the return of Starliner, NASA officials in Houston must consider multiple factors: the status of repairs to faulty components on Starliner, weather conditions, and other planned activities at the International Space Station, such as other astronauts' spacewalks. During the mission, the return date of Starliner may be adjusted again.
As of Tuesday, mission officials have set the target for June 18, planning for Starliner to undock from the International Space Station. Approximately six hours later, the spacecraft is expected to land at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Willcox Playa in Arizona, or other predetermined sites, depending on weather conditions.
Dina Contella, NASA's deputy manager for the International Space Station program, told reporters on Tuesday that NASA discovered a new issue with Starliner while it was docked at the space station—a "sticky" oxidizer valve.
In a blog post on Monday, NASA mentioned a new helium leak problem in Starliner’s propulsion system, in addition to the four helium leaks discovered during its 24-hour flight to the space station last week.
