NASA entered The shuttle added a new chapter to its prestigious history of space exploration when it was retired in 2011 after 30 years.
The space agency relied on Russia to transport American cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), costing about $90 million per astronaut.
NASA went private during former President Obama’s tenure US companies Creating a spacecraft that is less dependent on a geopolitical rival.
the boeing company and Elon Musk-funded SpaceX were awarded contracts in the public-private space exploration partnership, but each company faced numerous starts and setbacks during development.
Why is the successful return of the Boeing spacecraft part of an ‘extremely important mission’?
According to NASA, “As the International Space Station flew 266 miles over the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia, an aurora glow flashed beneath Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft docked to the forward port of the Harmony module.” (NASA/Matt Dominick)
This delayed the initial launch, which was projected for 2018, but SpaceX resolved its problems before then.
The SpaceX Dragon Crew successfully carried two astronauts to the ISS in 2020 and brought them back home without a hitch.
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft made its first manned launch on June 5, but Series of issues The astronauts’ return home was delayed due to an explosion in space.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were aboard Starliner, will remain aboard the ISS for the foreseeable future as engineers fix helium leaks and thruster problems before returning them to Earth.
It was the latest interruption in years of starts and stops during the development phase of SpaceX and Boeing’s vehicles.
Image of the International Space Station off the northeastern coast of the United States. (NASA)
Here are six facts that will get you up to speed:
1. SpaceX and Boeing’s spacecraft were developed under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program after the shuttle was retired.
2. NASA awarded contracts worth $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion to Boeing and SpaceX, respectively, in September 2014 after a lengthy open competition.
According to a report, the public-private partnership is expected to reduce the per-seat cost from $90.3 million paid to Russia to $69.9 million for US companies. NASA report,
Boeing and SpaceX rockets together (NASA 2019 audit)
3. According to a report, SpaceX and Boeing are planning to provide access to the ISS to at least 48 astronauts by 2024. 2019 NASA Audit.
The 2019 audit said this expectation was not met as each company “faced significant safety and technical challenges with the parachute, propulsion, and launch abort systems.”
4. SpaceX successfully launched and returned its first manned spacecraft in May 2020, and has completed several successful missions since then.
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“Working in space is extremely difficult,” said expert Makena Young in an interview with Fox News Digital. “In my opinion, SpaceX has really taken a very different path in this area and has worked in this field with a lot of success.”
Young is a fellow in the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
SpaceX’s first manned launch to the International Space Station in 2020. (NASA)
5. Boeing’s manned crew mission has been delayed multiple times after testing failed to fix technical glitches in December 2019. In 2022, Starliner’s unmanned spacecraft reached the ISS, but more problems were found with the parachutes in 2023.
This again delayed the manned mission.
6. Boeing’s Starliner successfully launched its first manned mission to the ISS on June 5, but the spacecraft ran into problems, delaying the astronauts’ return home.
There was a helium leak in the propulsion system and engineers have been repairing faulty thrusters for the past three weeks.
Boeing told Fox News Digital via email on Thursday that the helium leaks “are all stable and not a concern for the return mission,” and that four of the five shut-down thrusters “are operating normally.”
The Starliner is still docked at the ISS, where it can remain for up to 45 days. A new date for the astronauts to return to Earth has not yet been set.
NASA’s Expedition 71 crew members, along with Starliner crew flight test members Suni Williams (first row left) and Butch Wilmore (first row right). (NASA)
Young said the situation highlights the need to have at least two reliable options for getting to and from the ISS.
“That’s also an important point to underscore is that these astronauts are not stranded, because NASA has another system that is reliable and proven,” Young said.
“That’s why NASA always has extra personnel on hand, so that if something goes wrong with one program, another can easily step in.”
