(NewsNation) — A fifth helium leak has been found on Boeing’s Starliner, currently docked at the International Space Station.
The vessel made its first crewed test flight launch after multiple delays and scrubbed launches, leaving Boeing years behind SpaceX, its competitor in the field. Both companies are part of NASA’s Commercial Cargo Spacecraft program, which attempts to reduce costs by having the agency work with private companies that can also use the spacecraft for commercial purposes.
One helium leak in Starliner’s service module was discovered prior to launch. After evaluating the issue, Boeing and NASA decided to move forward with the mission, in part because repairing the leak would have meant dismantling the entire capsule.
Three additional leaks were discovered after launch, and another was discovered after the capsule docked with the ISS. NASA recently announced astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams would be remaining on the ISS until June 18, longer than previously planned.
Helium is used to fuel the ship’s thruster systems. NASA said engineers are evaluating the supply of helium left, currently estimating there is enough for 70 hours of free flight activity after docking.
If all goes according to plan, the crew will only need seven hours of free flight time for the return journey. However, the spacecraft did experience issues with the thrusters used for manual flight control while docking, and it’s not known if those same issues could reoccur during the return flight.
Five of the 28 thrusters, which are used to give the astronauts finer control over the capsule, failed as Starliner approached the ISS. The crew missed the initial docking window, but after recovering four of the thrusters, Starliner delivered Williams and Wilmore to the space station safely.
To compound the problem for engineers at Boeing and NASA, the service module will be jettisoned before the capsule returns to Earth, leaving them reliant on data gathered from the flight to try to pinpoint the cause of the leaks.
On return, Starliner will also face one more major test. The capsule is set to touch down on a landing site in the Southwest U.S. instead of a traditional splash-down reentry in the ocean. Starliner has touched down successfully on uncrewed missions, but this will be the first time it is attempted with people on board.
