NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore make an Earth-to-orbit call from the International Space Station. [Credit: NASA Livestream]
Key Takeaways:
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, aboard the ISS for Boeing's Starliner CFT, made their first public appearance over a month past their planned eight-day stay due to ongoing issues with the spacecraft.
The Starliner is experiencing multiple helium leaks and several underperforming thrusters in its service module, prompting extensive ground testing by NASA and Boeing before a nominal return can be scheduled.
While the astronauts express confidence and Starliner is deemed capable of an emergency return, officials are delaying their return until testing is complete, with a deadline to undock before mid-August.
The prolonged delays impact Starliner's certification and future missions, with NASA considering a SpaceX Crew Dragon rescue if issues persist, though no such discussions have begun.
For the public, those were the first words heard from NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—the crew of the space agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT)—since they arrived at the orbital laboratory more than one month ago for an intended eight-day stay.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
