Starliner astronauts water plants and fix urine pumps on ISS
While NASA and Boeing engineers claim they are close to a decision about how best to return Starliner crew Butch Wilmore, and Suni William to Earth in the near future, it appears that the astronauts have plenty to do between now and then. According to a 20th August update, NASA is “taking full advantage” of the extra time the astronauts have on the orbital lab by having them work on science experiments, maintenance tasks, and preparing their International Space Station colleagues for spacewalks. On top of all that, the pair are now helping with ongoing research to examine the benefits and drawbacks of both fiber optic cable production and gardening in microgravity.
While not technically “stranded” in the classic sense of the word, Wilmore and Williams have been aboard the ISS since June 6, far past their original eight-day itinerary. Engineers noticed several issues with the thruster system of the Starliner shortly after its launch at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA and Boeing experts spent weeks testing thrusters on Earth, while reviewing copious data to determine the best solution. Mission leaders expect to make a decision by the end August. Whether that means using Starliner, or hopping aboard SpaceX’s reusable Dragon, remains to be determined. They are working on the Flawless Space Fibers-1 project, which aims to improve the understanding of the nuances involved in producing fiber optic cables under microgravity. In the past, studies have shown that fibers produced in space are better than those made on Earth. This is because gravity does not degrade them when they are being manufactured. Finding the most efficient way to make optical cabling in orbit could improve communications for astronauts and strengthen equipment used on the ISS. It may also improve the remote-sensing arrays and comms systems back on Earth. The experiments are aimed at using the physical properties of fluids like surface tension and moistness to keep plants hydrated and aerated while in space. NASA says astronauts spend their time emailing, chatting, and video-chatting to friends and family when not working. Presumably, they are also crossing their fingers that they won’t be tasked with “repairing a urine processing pump,” as previously reported.
Then again, NASA has stated there’s a chance Wilmore and Williams may end up replacing two crewmembers in the upcoming (and Starliner-delayed) SpaceX Crew-9 mission that’s currently scheduled for September. If this is the case, their eight-day trip could stretch to February 2025. That’s plenty of time for any additional problems with the urine processing pumps.
[Related: Boeing Starliner launches first crewed mission for NASA.]
