The beleaguered Starliner spacecraft will head dwelling on Friday, however its astronauts will not.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Tomorrow, the troubled Starliner spacecraft constructed by Boeing will attempt to return to Earth with out the 2 astronauts who took it on a take a look at flight. They’ll keep aboard the Worldwide House Station, the place they have been listening to some unusual noises. NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce stories.
NELL GREENFIELDBOYCE, BYLINE: The noises had been coming from Starliner, which is docked to the station. Astronaut Butch Wilmore notified mission management.
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BUTCH WILMORE: Houston on two. We have got a query about Starliner.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Houston’s with you, Butch. Go forward.
WILMORE: There is a unusual noise coming via the speaker.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: Wilmore held the microphone as much as Starliner’s speaker, so Houston may hear it, too.
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GREENFIELDBOYCE: This audio shortly received shared throughout social media. NASA needed to put out an announcement this week saying it wasn’t an issue. It was simply the most recent indignity for Starliner. This was its first flight with a crew onboard, and a few of its thrusters unexpectedly stopped firing because it was approaching the station. It did dock, however NASA officers determined that they did not perceive these dodgy thrusters nicely sufficient to threat sending astronauts dwelling in it. Steve Stich manages NASA’s Business Crew Program. He says as soon as Starliner mechanically undocks, it ought to transfer away from the station shortly.
STEVE STICH: After we get the automobile again, we’ll undergo a pair months of post-flight evaluation of the trajectory and the way the thrusters carried out through the remaining section of flight. After which we’re additionally already working hand in hand with Boeing to take a look at modifications to the system.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, in the meantime, will ultimately get dwelling. Their experience is a SpaceX automobile that is going as much as the station quickly, although its return flight will not occur till February. In case an emergency forces an evacuation of the station earlier than it arrives, the station’s crew has jerry-rigged a few further seats in a SpaceX capsule that is docked there now.
Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR Information.
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