Two astronauts, one of them Indian American, who embarked on an eight-day space mission in June might remain on the International Space Station until next year if their Boeing Starliner cannot be repaired for their return, according to NASA.
NASA officials announced on Wednesday that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first crew to fly in Boeing’s Starliner capsule, might need to return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner is still deemed unsafe for their return.
NASA is exploring options with SpaceX to potentially leave two seats vacant on an upcoming Crew Dragon launch, which has been delayed by a month, as NASA and Boeing work out a plan to bring the astronauts back.
The astronauts’ test mission, which started on June 5 and was initially expected to last about eight days, has been extended due to issues with Starliner’s propulsion system. These problems have raised concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to return them to Earth safely.
A Boeing spokesperson stated that if NASA decides to alter Starliner’s mission, the company will take necessary steps to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return.
Using a SpaceX vehicle to bring back astronauts initially intended to return on Starliner would be a significant setback for Boeing, which has faced challenges competing with SpaceX and its more advanced Crew Dragon.
Starliner has been docked to the ISS for 63 of the 90 days it can stay and is at the same port where Crew Dragon will need to dock for its upcoming mission.
The SpaceX Crew-9 launch was originally set for mid-August but will now take place after September 24.
Boeing indicated in July that, after extensive ground testing, engineers identified issues such as sudden thruster malfunctions and helium leaks in Starliner.
In a statement on August 2, the company expressed continued confidence in Starliner’s return capability with crew.
Recent reports suggest there has been some internal disagreement between NASA and Boeing regarding whether Starliner should be used for the astronauts’ return. During a recent meeting of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, some officials were skeptical about accepting Boeing’s testing data and using Starliner for the return.
Steve Stich, head of the Commercial Crew Program, noted that the decision was not straightforward, while NASA’s space operations chief Ken Bowersox mentioned that concerns from many individuals contributed to the indecision.
A Boeing executive did not attend the press conference on Wednesday.
Space experts noted that encountering issues during experimental spaceflights is not unusual. Jerry Stone, a senior associate at the Space Studies Institute, emphasized that dealing with unexpected problems is part of a crewed test flight.
However, the situation is critical for Boeing, which has been grappling with a PR crisis over its aircraft. At the company’s last press conference, Mark Nappi, Boeing’s commercial crew program manager, expressed regret over his previous assertion that the mission would last only eight days, stating it would have been better to commit to staying until all objectives were met.
Boeing’s testing revealed that four of Starliner’s jets failed in June due to overheating and automatic shutdowns, while some thrusters performed weaker than expected during tests due to propellant restrictions.
