Boeing’s space capsule returns to factory, flight delay expected

Boeing’s Starliner space capsule, which had to cancel its departure for the International Space Station last week, was canceled due to problems with the propulsion system and will have to return to factory for repairs, the company said Friday.

Also read:Boeing’s Starliner space capsule flight delayed indefinitely

This new setback postpones this important test flight to Boeing and NASA for at least several months. Boeing said in a statement that the capsule must be removed from the top of the Atlas V rocket and returned to the Kennedy Center plant in Florida for inspection. This is probably “Too soon to say” John Wolmer, vice president and director of Boeing’s commercial flight program, told a news conference that the drone would take place this year. Four valves of the propulsion system “Stay Closed” Despite the efforts of technicians to resolve the issue, Boeing added in its report.

Great failure

It’s a big failure for the team to continue the setbacks with Starliner. The capsule must be one of two with SpaceX to allow NASA to return its astronauts from US soil to the International Space Station (ISS). Since the launch of the spacecraft in 2011, the space agency has relied heavily on Russian rockets.

If SpaceX had now sent less than ten astronauts to the ISS, including the Frenchman Thomas Pesket, Boeing would still have to pass its first unmanned test aircraft, which would have to prove that the capsule was safe. This test flight was first attempted in 2019, but then came close to disaster due to a software issue. Starliner must have returned to Earth early, and then experienced a serious air disorder when the capsule entered the atmosphere during an investigation.