Two NASA astronauts who flew to the International Space Station aboard a defective Boeing Starliner capsule will return to Earth early next year with rival SpaceX, the U.S. space agency said on Saturday.
The American astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams launched on June 5th for the first manned test flight of the Starliner to the ISS. The mission was planned as a one-week mission.
However, during the first 24 hours of the flight, a series of malfunctions occurred in the capsule’s propulsion system, meaning that the experienced astronauts had now been stuck on the station for 79 days.
On Saturday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a press conference that Wilmore and Williams will return home in February 2025, while Starliner will return unmanned.
What is NASA’s new plan?
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission will launch in late September after the Boeing capsule sets course for Earth and clears a docking site at the ISS.
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission will carry only two passengers instead of the originally planned four.
NASA and SpaceX are working to reconfigure the seats on the Crew-9 Dragon “and adjust the passenger list to accommodate additional cargo, personal items and Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams,” the space agency said.
Boeing’s problems
NASA space agency chief Ken Bowersox said agency officials voted unanimously for Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts home. Boeing voted for Starliner because it was safe.
The rescue of the astronauts by the biggest competitor in the space industry is another PR blow for the crisis-ridden Boeing company.
Boeing had pinned its hopes on the Starliner test mission to save the crisis-ridden program after years of development and budget overruns of more than $1.6 billion since 2016.
“I know this is not the decision we had hoped for, but we are prepared to take the necessary actions to support NASA’s decision,” Boeing Starliner chief Mark Nappi said in an email to employees.
“The primary focus remains on ensuring the safety of the crew and the spacecraft,” he said.
Nelson said NASA has not lost confidence in Boeing and wants to continue working with the aerospace giant so that the space agency has two vehicles that can transport astronauts to the ISS and back.
He added that he was “100 percent confident that Boeing will launch the Starliner again with a crew on board.”
Officials say Wilmore and Williams – both former military test pilots – have plenty of supplies and are trained for longer stays.
NASA said they will use their extra time to conduct scientific experiments with the station’s seven other astronauts.
dvv/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
