NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have expressed their confidence in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, despite the setbacks that prolonged their mission at the International Space Station (ISS) by more than nine months.
Addressing the media on Monday, the veteran spacefarers admitted partial responsibility for the mission’s challenges and asserted their readiness to fly the Starliner again.
SpaceX had to step in to ferry the duo back to Earth after Boeing’s failure to execute their return last year.
Speaking at their first press conference since returning, Wilmore and Williams were candid about their ordeal, insisting they were merely fulfilling their duties and prioritising the mission over personal concerns.
Wilmore took some of the blame for Boeing’s problematic test flight, stating, “I’ll start and point the finger and I’ll blame me. I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide. All the way up and down the chain. We all are responsible. We all own this.”
Despite the difficulties encountered, both astronauts expressed their willingness to board the Starliner again.
Wilmore stated, “Because we’re going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We’re going to fix them. We’re going to make it work.” He further added that he would return to space “in a heartbeat.” Williams, too, acknowledged the Starliner’s potential, saying, “We’re all in.”
The two astronauts are scheduled to meet Boeing executives on Wednesday to discuss the flight’s challenges. Wilmore clarified that the meeting was not about assigning blame but aimed at “making the path clearer going forward.”
Wilmore and Williams’ mission had been initially planned for only eight days, but their stay at the ISS was unexpectedly prolonged to 286 days due to multiple system failures aboard Starliner.
The spacecraft’s thrusters malfunctioned, and helium leaks were detected, necessitating intervention by the crew to reach the ISS.
Engineering concerns about these faults prevented their return via Starliner, prompting NASA to transfer them to SpaceX. However, their replacement mission faced repeated delays, extending their stay beyond nine months.
Amid the astronauts’ prolonged space station tenure, US President Donald Trump urged SpaceX’s Elon Musk to expedite their return, further politicising the situation.
The mission concluded with a flawless SpaceX splashdown off Florida’s Panhandle two weeks ago.
“It’s great being back home after being up there,” Williams said.
She took a day to regain her balance before reuniting with her Labrador retrievers, describing the moment as “pure joy.”
Wilmore, meanwhile, returned to domestic responsibilities, revealing his wife’s directive to replace their yard’s shrubs before summer.
“So I’ve got to get my body ready to dig holes,” he quipped.
NASA has acknowledged that engineers have yet to determine the root cause of Starliner’s thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. Additional tests will continue through the summer.
Wilmore remains optimistic, asserting that if these issues are resolved, “Starliner is ready to go.”
The space agency may mandate an additional uncrewed test flight before approving another crewed mission, a trial run that could take place before the year’s end.
Despite Starliner’s setbacks, NASA maintains its commitment to its dual-provider strategy for ISS transport, a decision taken years ago to ensure competition in US commercial spaceflight.
However, time is pressing, as the ISS is slated to be decommissioned within five years and replaced by private orbital stations.
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