Watch: Indian-American Astronaut Sunita Williams Confident That Boeing Starliner Will Bring NASA Crew Home

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams said on Wednesday that she is confident Boeing’s Starliner capsule will be able to bring her back home from the International Space Station, once the company and NASA resolve thruster issues that have extended their stay in space.

Williams and veteran NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore were launched aboard Starliner from Florida on June 5 and docked the next day at the ISS, where they were initially scheduled to spend roughly eight days. Issues with Starliner’s propulsion system have extended their mission indefinitely. Five of Starliner’s 28 maneuvering thrusters failed during its trek to the station, a propellant valve did not properly close and there have been helium leaks.

‘Failure not an option’

“I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home, no problem,” Williams said during the test crew’s first news conference since docking to the ISS more than a month ago. “I feel confident that if we had to, if there was a problem with the International Space Station, we can get in our spacecraft, and we can undock, talk to our team, and figure out the best way to come home,” she added.

Wilmore said that they are “absolutely confident,” adding that “failure is not an option.” “And that’s why we’re staying, because we’re going to test it. That’s what we do,” Wilmore said, acknowledging that an ongoing investigation by the U.S. space agency and Boeing involving thruster tests on Earth is key for their return.

What’s Wrong With Thrusters

NASA and Boeing are investigating why some thrusters overheated and ceased functioning during Starliner’s journey to the ISS. Officials are conducting test firings of identical thrusters at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range to replicate the issues.

Simultaneously, an inquiry at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama is underway to understand why a seal in the spacecraft’s propulsion system allowed helium to leak. The return of astronauts Wilmore and Williams to Earth aboard Starliner hinges on the outcome of these thruster tests. NASA’s commercial crew chief Steve Stich has stressed that “we’re taking our time” with the testing, acknowledging that the results of the New Mexico thruster tests “are not quite what we would have hoped for.”

Starliner is cleared to remain docked to the ISS for 45 days, until July 21, with provisions to extend up to 90 days using backup systems, contingent on the condition of its lithium-ion batteries, which have raised concerns previously. While NASA and Boeing affirm Starliner’s capability to evacuate astronauts from the ISS during emergencies, the capsule lacks approval for routine return trips until its thruster challenges are addressed or better comprehended.

(With agency inputs)