Boeing Scandal: Starliner Spacecraft Fails To Release Landas From ISS

Starliner from Boeing before launch (photo: x @nasa)

JAKARTA - Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which recently transported two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) last week, was unable to escape after some damage was found on the ship. The team found five different leaks in the ship's propulsion system that should have navigated the ship on its return to Earth.

Astronauts scheduled to return on June 14 had to postpone their return until June 22 while Boeing and NASA were trying to fix the problem, leaving astronauts stranded until then. Experts say that NASA may have to launch a rescue mission that would be an embarrassing blow to Boeing, which is already grappling with various problems in its commercial jets.

"The NASA-Boeing Starliner Mission Management Team is monitoring the overall health of the aircraft and complying with our mission flight rules," Boeing spokeswoman quoted by VOI from DailyMail.com.

NASA itself declined to comment on whether rescue missions were possible.

After splitting from the Atlas rocket, NASA revealed that the capsule had two more leaks. The fourth leak was discovered after docking on June 6 and most recently on June 10. In addition to helium leakage, four boosters were also damaged during the flight.

This delay sparked concern among experts fears that the two astronauts could be trapped on the ISS until a rescue mission is delivered.

Mike Gruntman, professor of astronautics at the University of Southern California, said that "it is more likely that SpaceX will be able to provide additional launches in the near future to bring astronauts back."

The problem with Starliner has accompanied a series of problems that hit a Boeing commercial plane. A Boeing plane experienced a rare "Dutch roll" at an altitude of 32,000 feet last month, resulting in the plane being taken from service. In the same month, Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 experienced turbulence that caused several injuries and one death.

In addition, Boeing's Air Canada plane caught fire a few seconds after taking off last week. This series of problems adds to the pressure on Boeing, which is already under the spotlight due to repeated problems with its various products.