Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. Photo credit: NASA
NASA and Boeing teams continue analyzing data from recent ground and spacecraft testing as they evaluate the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system during NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.
Teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft’s integrated propulsion system, and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner’s return to Earth from the International Space Station.
Forward work for the team also includes finalizing the spacecraft’s undocking procedures and operational mitigations that could be used in flight, if needed, to build further confidence in the system. Meanwhile, Starliner ground and mission support teams are continuing to prepare for undocking by participating in integrated simulations with space station operations teams.
Following the completion of Starliner’s return planning, which is expected to continue into next week, more information will be shared about the agency’s return readiness review preparations and subsequent media briefing. As always, astronaut safety remains the top priority for both NASA and Boeing.
While engineers conduct their spacecraft studies on Earth, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are closely following the ground team’s progress while aboard the station. The duo has integrated into the daily workload of the orbiting laboratory, giving the station a crew of nine as their mission overlaps with Expedition 71.
The astronauts worked primarily on lab upkeep aboard the orbiting outpost on Wednesday. Wilmore spent time inspecting advanced plumbing hardware then packed the life support components for return to Earth. Williams set up high-definition video gear inside the Columbus laboratory module then inspected a bar code reader and radio frequency hardware. Wilmore and Williams also partnered up and organized cargo inside the Tranquility module before calling into a Boeing mission controllers conference.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard, approaches the International Space Station for an autonomous docking as it orbited 257 miles above the South Pacific Ocean on June 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA Television
NASA and Boeing leadership provided an update on Starliner’s Crew Flight Test during a news conference Thursday. The integrated Starliner team continues to assess the spacecraft’s propulsion system performance and complete other tasks before scheduling its undocking from the International Space Station and return to Earth. Watch the full replay of the news conference.
Engineering teams from NASA and Boeing recently wrapped up ground hot fire testing of a Starliner reaction control system thruster at the agency’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The test series involved firing the engine under conditions like those the spacecraft experienced during its approach to the space station. The tests also included various stress-case scenarios to simulate the conditions expected during Starliner’s undocking and deorbit burn, which will position the spacecraft for landing in the southwestern United States. Teams are in the process of taking apart this thruster to conduct physical inspections. Initial findings show degraded thruster performance, which aligns with what has been observed in orbit.
Additionally, NASA and Boeing will conduct a second docked hot fire test over the weekend to demonstrate the spacecraft’s thruster performance. The first docked hot fire test occurred on June 15. The upcoming test will allow checks of the helium leaks while also verifying the thrusters are operating as expected.
NASA plans to hold an agency-level readiness review no earlier than next week. Following the review, mission leadership will finalize the plan for a normal return to Earth and select a targeted undocking date for Starliner. NASA also plans to host a televised briefing with agency and Boeing leadership following the review. More news conference details will be shared when available.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams continue to provide additional crew time and valuable contributions aboard the space station, assisting with science investigations and helping ground teams collect critical data for post-certification, long-duration Starliner flights to the orbiting complex.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. Photo credit: NASA
NASA and Boeing will host a news conference with mission leadership at 11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 25, to provide the latest status of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test aboard the International Space Station. NASA previously planned an audio-only media teleconference to host the discussion.
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
United States-based media seeking to attend in person must contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 9:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 25, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. U.S. and international media interested in participating by phone must contact NASA Johnson or NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov by 10:30 a.m. the day of the event. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: NASA
Leadership from NASA and Boeing will participate in a media teleconference at 11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 25, to provide the latest status of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission aboard the International Space Station.
Audio of the media teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website. Participants include:
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
Engineering teams with NASA and Boeing recently completed ground hot fire testing of a Starliner reaction control system thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The test series involved firing the engine through similar in-flight conditions the spacecraft experienced during its approach to the space station, as well as various stress-case firings for what is expected during Starliner’s undocking and the deorbit burn that will position the spacecraft for a landing in the southwestern United States. Teams are analyzing the data from these tests, and leadership plans to discuss initial findings during the call.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 256 miles above the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India. Photo credit: NASA
NASA and Boeing engineers are evaluating results from last week’s engine tests at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico as the team works through plans to return the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test from the International Space Station in the coming weeks.
Teams completed ground hot fire testing at White Sands and are working to evaluate the test data and inspect the test engine. The ongoing ground analysis is expected to continue throughout the week. Working with a reaction control system thruster built for a future Starliner spacecraft, ground teams fired the engine through similar inflight conditions the spacecraft experienced on the way to the space station. The ground tests also included stress-case firings, and replicated conditions Starliner’s thrusters will experience from undocking to deorbit burn, where the thrusters will fire to slow Starliner’s speed to bring it out of orbit for landing in the southwestern United States. For a detailed overview of the test plans, listen to a replay of a recent media teleconference with NASA and Boeing leadership.
“I am extremely proud of the NASA, Boeing team for their hard work in executing a very complex test series,” said Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “We collected an incredible amount of data on the thruster that could help us better understand what is going on in flight. Next, our team has moved into engine tear downs and inspections which will provide additional insight as we analyze the results and evaluate next steps.”
Integrated ground teams also are preparing for an in-depth Agency Flight Test Readiness Review, which will evaluate data related to the spacecraft’s propulsion system performance before its return to Earth. The date of the agency review has not yet been solidified.
NASA and Boeing leadership plan to discuss the testing and analysis work in detail during a media briefing next week. More information on the briefing will be made available soon.
While testing and analysis are happening on Earth, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Starliner mission commander, and Suni Williams, mission pilot, are working alongside the Expedition 71 crew. The two participated in vein scans using the Ultrasound 2 device on Monday. Doctors on the ground monitored in real-time as the pair took turns imaging each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins. Afterward, Wilmore scanned the veins of fellow NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, helping researchers understand how microgravity affects the human body.
Wilmore and Dominick also spent a portion of the day taking inventory of the food stored aboard the space station. Williams worked on a pair of studies, first exploring the use of microgravity to manufacture higher-quality optical fibers than on Earth. Williams also investigated using fluid physics, such as surface tension, to overcome the lack of gravity when watering and nourishing plants grown in space.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port. This long-duration photograph was taken at night from the orbital complex as it soared 258 miles above western China. Photo credit: NASA
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, crew members of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission, performed a host of research activities and other roles aboard the International Space Station. Wilmore and Williams give the microgravity laboratory a complement of nine people working through daily tasks.
On Monday, Wilmore and Williams reviewed the procedures for using the Fluid Systems Servicer, which drains, purges, and circulates fluids on systems aboard the space station. Wilmore then refilled coolant loops in the water pump assembly located in the Columbus module. Tuesday saw the pair take turns during the morning pedaling on an exercise cycle while attached to heart and breathing sensors that measured their aerobic capacity. The duo then split up as Wilmore serviced a pair of research freezers that preserve scientific samples and Williams installed hardware on an experiment that explores atmospheric reentry and thermal protection systems.
The seven-member Expedition 71 crew joined the two Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts to practice an emergency drill in collaboration with mission controllers. The teams aboard the orbital outpost and on the ground coordinated communications and reviewed procedures in the unlikely event of a pressure leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the space station. Following that, Wilmore and Williams spoke to reporters from the space station, answering questions about their mission and the Starliner vehicle. NASA and Boeing managers also discussed the Crew Flight Test mission with the media in an audio teleconference afterward. Watch the crew news conference here and listen to the media briefing here. The duo also completed life support work refilling temperature loops with water in the Tranquility module’s internal thermal control system.
Advanced biology research also was underway aboard the orbiting lab on Thursday with astronauts exploring how living in space affects the human body and mind. Williams extracted DNA to identify microbe samples collected from station water systems. Results from the genetic biotechnology experiment may improve ways to keep crews healthy and spacecraft systems clean on future missions.
NASA astronaut Michael Barratt also assisted Wilmore, who spent all day servicing a pair of spacesuits in the Quest airlock. The duo cleaned the suits’ cooling loops and checked the communication systems ahead of a spacewalk planned for July 29.
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore prepare orbital plumbing hardware for installation inside the International Space Station’s bathroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, located in the Tranquility module. Photo credit: NASA
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, continue contributing to International Space Station research and activities since their arrival on June 6 to the orbiting laboratory. Wilmore and Williams have completed half of all hands-on research time conducted aboard the station as the expedition crew prepares for the departure of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus. As packing takes most of the crew’s time, the extra help from Wilmore and Williams allows packing and research to happen simultaneously. To learn more about what other crew members are doing aboard the International Space Station, visit: blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation.
Media are invited to hear Wilmore and Williams discuss their mission during an Earth-to-space call at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 10. Read the agency’s coverage advisory for more information.
On July 1, Wilmore and Williams spent the morning in the Permanent Multipurpose Module, organizing stowage and tidying up. Wilmore then moved into the Japanese Experiment Module to disassemble an empty NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer in preparation for upcoming NanoRacks missions.
Later, Wilmore prepped and viewed samples for the Moon Microscope, a demonstration that allows flight surgeons on Earth to diagnose illnesses and could provide diagnostic capabilities for crews on future missions to the Moon and Mars. Meanwhile, Williams conducted some routine orbital pluming, then audited U.S. stowage items housed inside the Zarya module.
On July 2, Wilmore joined NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson to load trash and discarded gear inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft. Cygnus is scheduled to be released from the Unity module later this month for disposal over the South Pacific Ocean, ending its five-and-a-half-month stay at the orbiting lab.
Williams spent most of Tuesday on Starliner operations and then assessed the air flow of the pump filter attached to the Advanced Plant Habitat. At the end of the day, Williams and all eight of her crewmates held a conference with ground teams.
Also, on July 2, teams brought the Starliner spacecraft out of quiescent mode to conduct mission data loads, or MDLs. These are files for the spacecraft’s computer to understand current inertial and relative navigation states, Earth rotation, thermal conditioning, and more. The spacecraft was commanded back to a docked quiescent mode after MDL loading was complete.
For more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, visit:
The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. Photo credit: NASA
During a media teleconference Friday, leaders from NASA and Boeing provided an update about Starliner’s Crew Flight Test. The integrated Starliner team continues to evaluate the spacecraft’s propulsion system performance and complete other forward work before scheduling undocking from the International Space Station. Listen to a full replay of the teleconference.
“Our goal is to bring Butch and Suni home aboard Boeing’s spacecraft, and we are working to confirm Starliner will perform as designed to return them safely to Earth,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Space station gives us the luxury of time, allowing us to look at data we gathered on the way uphill and conduct some additional testing. We’re still in the middle of a test mission, and we want to spend more time with the data before we make the final call to put the crew aboard the spacecraft for return.”
NASA and Boeing will conduct additional ground testing at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to better understand the spacecraft’s thruster performance. This testing will expose Starliner’s thrusters to flight-like pulse counts and thermal conditions for ground teams to inspect and analyze. The data collected also will help determine system improvements for future post-certification missions to station.
“We spent a lot of time working to determine whether we could get meaningful data from a ground hot fire to better inform our decision making in flight, and I am extremely proud of our integrated NASA and Boeing teams for coming up with some innovative options and leveraging testing plans that were already in place for future missions,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “Based on the continued performance of Starliner while docked, we are working with station to extend the certification of several components beyond a 45-day mission duration, if needed, so our engineering teams can take the time they need while Butch and Suni support various in-orbit activities that are critical for sustaining station operations and research.”
Engineering teams are working to finalize testing plans and a timeline for the additional ground testing, which should occur over the next two weeks. They are taking advantage of the extra time by gathering as much data as possible while docked to station, considering the service module will not be recovered at the end of the mission.
Since Starliner’s arrival on June 6 with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard, mission teams have been working to complete open work related to managing five small leaks in the spacecraft’s service module helium manifolds while reaffirming the health of the spacecraft’s reaction control system thrusters. Starliner remains available in case of an emergency on the space station that would require the crew to leave orbit immediately and return to Earth.
In addition to monitoring the hardware in orbit, which is operating normally in a docked state, NASA and Boeing continue testing and analysis on the ground by exploring potential causes for the helium system leaks and analyzing instrumentation data on Starliner’s thrusters. Engineers are working to gauge potential helium leak rates that may occur after undocking, validate operational mitigations for use in flight as needed, and explore fault tree considerations beyond what the teams have already gathered from the flight data.
They also are evaluating recent ground test results that showed better than expected performance of Starliner’s thruster instrumentation. Based upon these results, engineering teams have confidence that Starliner’s thruster pressure transducers are not overheating in flight and causing premature deselects of the thrusters in orbit, which was initially considered to be a possibility. Meanwhile, simulated propulsion system contingency scenarios continue to be worked in the lab to ensure expected performance of Starliner’s backup systems and thruster combinations for use during the return if needed.
Once all the necessary ground testing and associated data analysis is complete, leaders from NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Programs and Boeing will conduct an agency-level review. During the review, senior agency leaders and mission managers will discuss their findings and options with the broader NASA community, including international partners, to formally document the agency’s acceptance of Starliner’s flight plan and evaluate future return opportunities.
NASA plans to host a televised media briefing following the agency review to discuss the next steps ahead of Starliner’s return. The agency will share details on that briefing once it is finalized.
Wilmore and Williams continue to provide additional crew time and valuable contributions aboard the space station, assisting with spacewalks and science investigations while helping ground teams collect critical data for post-certification, long-duration Starliner flights to the orbiting complex.
An aurora streams below Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft docked to the forward port on the Harmony module as the International Space Station soared 266 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia. Photo credit: NASA/Matt Dominick
NASA and Boeing leadership are adjusting the return to Earth of the Starliner Crew Flight Test spacecraft with agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station. The move off Wednesday, June 26, deconflicts Starliner’s undocking and landing from a series of planned International Space Station spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to review propulsion system data. Listen to a full replay of the June 18 media briefing where NASA and Boeing leadership discussed the ongoing efforts.
“We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking. Additionally, given the duration of the mission, it is appropriate for us to complete an agency-level review, similar to what was done ahead of the NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 return after two months on orbit, to document the agency’s formal acceptance on proceeding as planned.”
A media telecon with mission leadership will follow the readiness review’s conclusion, and the agency will share those details as they are solidified. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft remains cleared for return in case of an emergency on the space station that required the crew to leave orbit and come back to Earth.
Mission managers are evaluating future return opportunities following the station’s two planned spacewalks on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, July 2.
“Starliner is performing well in orbit while docked to the space station,” said Stich. “We are strategically using the extra time to clear a path for some critical station activities while completing readiness for Butch and Suni’s return on Starliner and gaining valuable insight into the system upgrades we will want to make for post-certification missions.”
Wilmore and Williams remain integrated with the Expedition 71 crew, assisting with station operations as needed and completing add-on in-flight objectives for NASA certification of Starliner.
“The crew’s feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing’s Starliner Program.
The crew is not pressed for time to leave the station since there are plenty of supplies in orbit, and the station’s schedule is relatively open through mid-August.
The Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.
Teams from NASA and Boeing now are targeting no earlier than 10:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for the undocking of the Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station. For the primary undocking opportunity, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first crew to fly aboard Starliner, would land about 4:51 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Mission teams supporting NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test continue to review Starliner’s data from the completed test objectives.
During a media teleconference on Tuesday, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, discussed the flight test and upcoming return plans. Stich was joined by Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program; Mike Lammers, flight director at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; and Mark Nappi, vice president and manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program. Listen to a full replay of the teleconference.
Following undocking and the deorbit burn, Starliner will descend under parachutes to land in the desert grounds of White Sands. Airbags attached to the bottom of Starliner will soften the spacecraft’s touchdown. The landing will mark the first time an American capsule has touched down on land with astronauts aboard. A team of NASA and Boeing specialists will retrieve the crew soon after landing.
Wilmore and Williams docked the Starliner spacecraft to the space station’s forward port on June 6 and have been testing spacecraft systems and performing tasks aboard the orbiting laboratory.
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