As Boeing’s first crewed Starliner test flight nears the 80-day mark of what was initially an eight-day mission, NASA leaders will give an update on Saturday (Aug. 24) to outline their plan on how to return Starliner’s astronaut crew to Earth.
The press conference, which is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), will include NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other agency leadership as they discuss plans to return Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams home. You’ll be able to watch the press briefing live on this page, courtesy of NASA TV.
The two astronauts launched to the International Space Station on Starliner on June 5, but saw their mission extended over two months as Boeing and NASA studied helium leaks and thruster issues on the spacecraft.
“NASA and Boeing have gathered data, both in space and on the ground, regarding the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion and helium systems to better understand the ongoing technical challenges,” NASA officials wrote in a statement Thursday (Aug. 22). “The review will include a mission status update, review of technical data and closeout actions, as well as certify flight rationale to proceed with undocking and return from the space station.”
Nelson and NASA leadership will discuss that flight rationale in an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday before the press conference to share the meeting’s results.
As Boeing’s first crewed Starliner test flight nears the 80-day mark of what was initially an eight-day mission, NASA leaders will give an update on Saturday (Aug. 24) to outline their plan on how to return Starliner’s astronaut crew to Earth.
The press conference, which is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), will include NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other agency leadership as they discuss plans to return Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams home. You’ll be able to watch the press briefing live on this page, courtesy of NASA TV.
The two astronauts launched to the International Space Station on Starliner on June 5, but saw their mission extended over two months as Boeing and NASA studied helium leaks and thruster issues on the spacecraft.
“NASA and Boeing have gathered data, both in space and on the ground, regarding the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion and helium systems to better understand the ongoing technical challenges,” NASA officials wrote in a statement Thursday (Aug. 22). “The review will include a mission status update, review of technical data and closeout actions, as well as certify flight rationale to proceed with undocking and return from the space station.”
Nelson and NASA leadership will discuss that flight rationale in an internal Agency Test Flight Readiness Review at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday before the press conference to share the meeting’s results.
Source: https://www.space.com/nasa-boeing-starliner-astroanut-crew-return-update-webcast
