Two Nasa astronauts aboard the International Space Station have said that they trust the Boeing Starliner spacecraft to bring them home safely despite its multiple technical issues.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, speaking from the station during an online media briefing on Wednesday, arrived on June 6 for what was initially planned as a week-long test flight mission.
The craft has suffered multiple helium leaks and thruster issues since arriving there, causing the crew's return to be delayed repeatedly, with no firm unlocking date set yet by Boeing and Nasa.
“I feel confident that if we had to, if there was a problem with the International Space Station, we can get in our spacecraft, we can undock, talk to our team and figure out the best way to come home,” said Ms Williams, an experienced astronaut who logged more than 322 days in space before this mission.
“We've practised a lot, so I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home.”
Boeing has insisted that they are delaying the return so that they can get more testing done before the craft can undock from the station, as the service module will be discarded upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
The company and Nasa are now carrying out ground tests in New Mexico, in which they are replicating thruster issues that the craft experienced during its flight in a vacuum chamber to learn more about the problem.
Starliner has to depart before August so that it frees up the docking part for the next set of astronauts, Nasa/SpaceX Crew-9, to arrive at the station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
“A few days before that launch opportunity we would need to get Butch and Suni home on Starliner,” Steve Stich, commercial crew programme manager at Nasa, said in a media briefing last night.
“We’re really working to try to follow the data and see when is the earliest we could target for undock and landing. I think some of the data suggests, optimistically, it’s by the end of July.”
He said they were also considering the option of making Crew-8, who are currently serving a mission aboard the station, depart earlier than planned so that a docking port is available.
Boeing has a $4.2 billion contract under Nasa's Commercial Crew Programme to develop a craft that can help safely launch and bring back astronauts for the agency.
Starliner has been in development for a decade and has faced multiple technical issues over the years.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has launched eight crews for Nasa so far using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule.
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
