Starliner
 

The Boeing Starliner, gumdrop-shaped starcraft designed to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station, is being recalled to the factory due to unforeseen issues. Experts estimate that the flight will be delayed for at least two months, further setting Boeing behind schedule.

The original test flight for Starliner in December of 2019 was unsuccessful due to the spacecraft’s inability to properly dock with the International Space Station. This major software bug forced the Starliner to return to Earth. About 14 months later, Boeing prepared to launch their spacecraft once more. The night before the launch, a large thunderstorm rolled through Florida and disrupted the Starliner’s propulsion system. Boeing engineers found 13 of the valves to be unresponsive, causing Boeing to once again delay the launch.

These valves are significant because they allow the vehicle to propel itself through the atmosphere; without them, the Starliner would be unable to properly abort or maneuver through the air. Because of their importance, Boeing is not allowing the craft to get up from the ground until all the valves are proven to be operational. John Vollmer, the vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, claims that these extensive tests and safety precautions will ensure that they “will ultimately have a safer vehicle.”

After the spacecraft failed again, the engineers within Boeing and NASA began to investigate the source of the problem. After carefully considering the factors of the launches, they theorized that the valves were unresponsive due to Florida’s humid weather. In a press conference on August 13, 2021, Vollmer said that the atmospheric moisture could have possibly seeped into the system and filled the valve covers. Although the spacecraft had been subjected to severe thunderstorms in previous years, Vollmer believes that the storms had not been the source of the moisture. The leading theory is that during assembly, the ambient moisture had not been properly retained. 

Boeing’s and NASA’s engineers are preparing to dismantle the spacecraft to analyze the issues and resolve them. They hope to get off the ground and into space by November, but further errors with the valves may cause it to get delayed to 2022 or even further. 

by Nathan Park, 8/14/2021