The commanding officer of the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft that encountered technical issues while shuttling two astronauts to space last June, took responsibility for the issues, while also pointing the blame at everyone else on the mission.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams answered questions from reporters in Texas on Monday about various aspects of their extended mission.
Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth after being stuck in space since June, due to engineers discovering helium leaks and issues involving thrusters shortly after Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner docked with the International Space Station.
Wilmore was asked who is responsible for everything that happened on the test flight, which ultimately left them in space for nine months.
“There were some issues, of course…that prevented us from returning on Starliner, and I’ll start with me,” Wilmore said. “There were questions that I, as a commander of the spacecraft, that I should have asked, and I did not at the time. I didn’t know I needed to, and maybe you could call that hindsight, but I’ll start and point the finger, and I’ll blame me.”
The term “blame” is not one that Wilmore likes to use, though he said the responsibility falls on everyone throughout all the programs, including Boeing and NASA.
“We all are responsible. We all own this,” Wilmore said. “You cannot do this business without trust. You have to have ultimate trust, and for someone to step forward in all these different organizations and say, ‘Hey. I’m culpable for part of that issue.’ That goes a long way to maintaining trust.
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“So, we’re not going to look back and say this happened or that happened and that person’s, or that issue, or that entity’s to blame. We’re going to look forward and say, ‘What are we going to use our lessons learned from this whole process and make sure we are successful in the future,” Wilmore added.
When asked if either astronaut would return to space in a Starliner, both Williams and Wilmore responded that they would.
Wilmore said he would return in a Starliner because the team is going to rectify all the issues the spacecraft encountered, noting that Boeing and NASA are completely committed to fixing the problems.
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“With that, I’d get on in a heartbeat,” he said.
Williams agreed with Wilmore, saying the Starliner spacecraft is really capable.
“There were a couple of things that need to be fixed, like Butch mentioned, and folks are actively working on that,” she said. “But it’s…a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capabilities that other spacecraft don’t have, and to see that thing successful and to be part of that program is an honor.”
Wilmore and Williams splashed down in the Gulf of America on March 18, after Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the ISS just days before.
