Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS), has encountered its fifth helium leak. The leaks were detected at various stages – one before launch, two after liftoff, and the latest two while the vehicle was docked at the ISS.
Despite these issues, NASA remains confident in the spacecraft’s performance. The space agency has stated that even if the leak rate were to increase up to 100 times, the situation would still be manageable. The Starliner has enough helium left in its tanks to support 70 hours of free flight activity following undocking, which is significantly more than the seven hours needed for a normal end of mission.
The leaks have raised concerns about Starliner’s propulsion system, which uses helium in its thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire without being combustible or toxic. However, NASA and Boeing decided to proceed with the mission without resolving the issue, arguing that it poses no risk to the safety of the astronauts.
The Starliner spacecraft, consisting of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module, successfully delivered a pair of NASA astronauts to the ISS. Despite a challenging docking process, the capsule finally docked with the ISS on June 6. Engineers are currently evaluating an RCS oxidizer isolation valve in the service module that’s not properly closed.
The ongoing helium leaks suggest a larger issue with Starliner’s propulsion system. However, NASA remains confident in its commercial partner and is downplaying the spacecraft’s anomalies.
Read more: gizmodo.com