Sunita Williams Speaks Out: Starliner’s Problems Were “Seriously Understated”

In June 2024 two Boeing astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore headed out to the ISS aboard a Starliner spacecraft. However, their return to Earth was delayed for 278 days due to issues with the Starliner vehicle that are more than Boeing explains.

What Went Wrong With The Boeing Starliner According To Sunita Williams

According to NASA and Boeing, the Starliner faced issues with its thrusters, as well as a leak in its helium tank that occurred during docking with the ISS. One of the astronauts on this prolonged 278-day mission as a result of these issues sheds more light on the issues that plagued the Starliner.

During a recent interview following her and her partner’s return to Earth, Williams shed more light on the issues the Starliner encountered in space. From the interview, we can highlight two issues that delayed the astronaut’s return to Earth that weren’t properly highlighted over the past few months.

The two issues that Sunita Williams identified during the interview were loss of control and the waving regulations. Regarding loss of control, Williams recalls when the four thrusters developed faults as the spacecraft approached the ISS for docking.

This issue led to the complete loss of control of the Boeing Starliner, leaving them adrift in space waiting for intervention from NASA mission control. The second issue has to do with NASA’s blatant ignorance of regulations, which requires the return of any spacecraft that malfunctions mid-flight.

Meaning that the thruster issues deem the Boeing Starliner unfit to dock with the ISS. Additionally, Wilmore, the other astronaut aboard the Starliner, pointed out that the vehicle faced similar issues during an uncrewed test flight.

How Did NASA Respond To These Issues That Sunita Williams Raised Regarding The Boeing Starliner

Despite its waiving of clear regulations guiding the docking of malfunctioning space vehicles to the ISS NASA did come through for Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore. NASA was able to take control of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and ensure that it completed its docking with the ISS.

They did this by remotely resetting the spacecraft, hence restoring two of the four failed thrusters. Sunita Williams says that after this she “did this little happy dance… just happy that Starliner docked to the space station.”

Her reaction shows that she was happy with the turn of events despite the issues that she and her partner had to face. During the press conference earlier this week, she and her partner also expressed confidence in Boeing.
They did this by affirming their willingness to fly the Boeing Starliner again putting all issues they faced behind them. According to Wilmore, NASA and Boeing will “rectify all the issues that we encountered” he adds “ We’re going to fix it; we’re going to make it work.”