Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • Astronauts' return delayed again as Boeing and NASA try to learn more about spacecraft issues

    This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of International Space Station. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP) This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of International Space Station. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)
    Share

    Two veteran astronauts will extend their stay on the International Space Station as teams on the ground work to better understand issues with the Boeing-built spacecraft that carried them to orbit.

    Boeing and NASA officials said Tuesday that Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — who for what was estimated to be roughly a weeklong visit — will not return home before June 26.

    That target date marks a delay from earlier projections of June 18 and June 22.

    Since launching to orbit June 5 on the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, the astronauts have navigated a number of issues with the vehicle — including malfunctioning thrusters and a series of helium leaks that sprung up en route to the space station.

    Keeping the vehicle in orbit is essential to studying the issues, which occurred on the Starliner spacecraft’s service module — a cylindrical attachment that sits at the bottom of the spacecraft. The service module will be jettisoned and discarded as the capsule returns home from space.

    Because the service module won’t be returning with the mission, engineers will not have an opportunity to gather more data about the technical problems after the astronauts land, noted Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, at a Tuesday news conference.

    That’s why they’re are hoping to learn as much as possible while the vehicle is still docked at the space station, but none of the problems have yet threatened the overall success of the mission, Stich said.

    “So far, we don’t see any scenario where Starliner is not going to be able to bring Butch and Suni home,†Stich said.

    “We really want to work through the remainder of the data,†he added.

    An eventful test mission

    The launch of Starliner’s inaugural astronaut flight came after years of delays and development hangups, including a list of problems with the spacecraft’s software and propulsions system revealed by two uncrewed test missions in 2019 and 2022.

    The Starliner’s current troubles suggest the development team did not resolve all those issues before the crewed flight.

    Similar thruster issues, for example, were revealed during the spacecraft’s 2022 .

    Stich acknowledged during a June 6 that officials “thought we had fixed that problem.â€

    But, he added, “I think we’re missing something fundamental that’s going on inside the thruster.â€

    Since the June 6 docking, NASA and Boeing officials have worked to review flight data and analyze the problems, a process that’s ongoing, Stich said. It’s possible that the thruster issues may be caused by overheating that affected how the thrusters’ fuel burned as they fired rapidly during Starliner’s rendezvous with the space station, he added.

    It is not yet clear what may have caused the helium leaks, though that problem could also be related to the thruster issues, officials said.

    In total, there are 28 reaction control thrusters on Starliner’s service module and 12 on the Starliner vehicle itself, according to a Boeing . When asked during the news briefing, Stich did not say how many of those thrusters might fail before the Starliner is deemed unsafe.

    Of the five service module thrusters that failed during flight, all but one have been recovered, officials said.

    If the current timeline sticks, Williams and Wilmore could climb aboard the Starliner capsule and undock from the space station just after 10 p.m. ET on June 25, before parachuting to a landing shortly before 5 a.m. ET on June 26.

    The next opportunity to leave the space station after that would be July 2, Stich noted, with additional chances for departure occurring every four days.

    “I think we’re taking our extra time, given that this is a crewed vehicle, and we want to make sure that we haven’t left any stone unturned,†Stich said.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.

    Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    Canada

    • The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • Two women were randomly attacked on GO trains Monday night and police say they are searching for a suspect in the 'unprovoked' assaults.

    • The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.

    • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

    • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

    • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

    • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • Grammy nominated artist Jelly Roll will be coming to the Queen City in March.

    • November 11th marks a solemn day across Canada, and Regina is no exception.

    • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Changes proposed to the city’s Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later – but not louder.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

    • Hydro One says about 1,200 customers are without power in the Muskoka region.

    • Police in Chatham-Kent are hoping the public can help identify some people caught on surveillance following the theft of a vehicle. Around 5:05 p.m. on Nov. 5, police were called to a report of a stolen vehicle in Thamesville.

    • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school’s annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

    • A pair of thieves ripped the door of an east Windsor sports apparel store on Monday morning, leaving the store owner on the hook for thousands in stolen merchandise.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

    • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½