In their first news conference from the International Space Station, the Starliner astronauts said they were enjoying their extended time in orbit.
The crew of said Wednesday they’re confident the capsule will carry them safely back to Earth at the end of their extended stay aboard the International Space Station, despite helium leaks in the ship’s propulsion system and trouble with maneuvering thrusters.
commander Barry « Butch » Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams originally expected to spend about eight days in space, putting the Starliner through its paces in the ship’s first piloted test flight.
But the helium leaks and thruster issues have prompted NASA to extend their stay aboard the space station indefinitely — Wednesday marked their 35th day in orbit — while engineers carry out tests and analysis to better understand what caused the problems and to make sure the spacecraft can safely being Wilmore and Williams home.
In the meantime, and both Wilmore and Williams, speaking with reporters for the first time since launch, appeared to agree with that assessment.
« I think where we are right now, and what we know right now, and how the spacecraft flew as it was coming in to do the docking, 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 », Williams said.
« I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home, no problem », she added. « We’re learning now to optimize our specific situation and make sure that we know everything about it. »
Asked about his faith in the Starliner, Wilmore said « we’re absolutely confident. »
« We are actually doing thruster testing as we speak at White Sands, New Mexico, trying to replicate (the problems) we saw when we were rendezvousing », he said. « And we are going to learn from that. And we’re going to incorporate new processes, new procedures that we will employ if necessary. »
But just to be on the safe side, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said the team has « dusted off » plans originally developed when the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that carried NASA astronaut Frank Rubio to the station developed a coolant leak.
