美国宇航局确定波音星际飞船无人返回日期

NASA and Boeing have decided on a return date for the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft, which is scheduled to depart from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 6th. Due to thruster issues and helium leaks, NASA chose to keep astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams onboard the ISS, awaiting a rescue ride home from SpaceX. The return of Starliner will mark the beginning of the Expedition 71/72 crew's stay on the station. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission is set to launch in late September, relieving the current SpaceX Crew-8.

Wilmore and Williams are expected to return home after spending between eight and nine months on board, making them only the second and third people to ever fly on four spacecraft. However, before their return, NASA plans to adjust the upcoming SpaceX mission's crew composition. Both Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS, aiming to end reliance on Russian Soyuz launches.

Boeing's Starliner has faced delays and technical challenges, raising questions about its future in the program. In contrast, SpaceX has successfully completed numerous crewed missions, including private commercial flights and an all-commercial crew orbital mission called Inspiration4. The article also mentions upcoming missions by SpaceX, including the Polaris Dawn flight and the Fram2 mission.

Overall, the article provides insights into the return of the Starliner spacecraft, the challenges it has faced, and the broader context of human spaceflight activities involving both Boeing and SpaceX.