📷 Image Credits: NDTV
NASA’s Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her crew encountered a significant challenge during their recent mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The mission involved a series of setbacks, including helium leaks and thruster failures, but ultimately successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, 2024.
The crew, consisting of Commander Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams, faced multiple issues during their journey. The Starliner spacecraft, launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, encountered three helium leaks. While one leak was known and managed before the flight, the crew dealt with two additional leaks after reaching orbit. To address the helium leaks, the astronauts had to manually close the helium valves, sacrificing sleep time to ensure the spacecraft’s stability.
Despite the challenges with the helium leaks, the mission continued as planned. However, the spacecraft faced further complications when five of its reaction control system thrusters failed. The mission teams worked diligently to resolve the issue, conducting hot-fire tests to re-enable four of the thrusters. The crew, led by Williams and Wilmore, had to manually pilot the spacecraft at the 200-meter hold point to ensure the necessary fault tolerance for docking.
Upon reaching the 10-meter hold point, the team conducted system readiness evaluations and successfully completed the docking process. The successful docking marked a significant milestone for Boeing as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Following the docking, the astronauts were warmly welcomed by the Expedition 71 crew aboard the ISS. They will conduct tests on the spacecraft’s capabilities for extended crews and emergencies. The mission serves as a precursor to Starliner 1, the first of several astronaut taxi flights for NASA by Boeing, expected in early 2025.
