NASA officials have announced that the two astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to spacecraft issues will not be returning to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that brought them there. Instead, they will be brought back on a SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon mission, which is expected to launch no earlier than September 24.
NASA officials held a press conference on Saturday to announce that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which is currently docked with the International Space Station, will return to Earth without the two astronauts aboard. The decision was made after engineers discovered helium leaks and issues involving thrusters shortly after the Starliner docked with the ISS. The uncrewed return will allow NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on the Starliner during its upcoming flight back to Earth, while also ensuring the safety of the crew.
The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were originally scheduled to return to Earth on the Starliner in early August. However, the discovery of the spacecraft issues forced NASA and Boeing to delay the return and investigate the problems. Engineering teams have been working around the clock to analyze the data and develop contingency plans, but uncertainties and the lack of expert agreement about the safety of a crewed return on the Starliner led NASA leadership to make the decision to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.
Boeing Starliner Astronauts to Return to Earth on SpaceX Crew-9 Mission
The Crew-9 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than September 24, and will carry four astronauts to the ISS. However, the mission will be modified to accommodate Wilmore and Williams, as the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is not compatible with the Boeing spacesuits they are currently wearing. The Crew-9 mission will carry additional cargo and Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams, who are expected to return to Earth in February 2025.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the importance of safety in the decision to keep Wilmore and Williams aboard the ISS and bring the Starliner home uncrewed. He expressed gratitude to both the NASA and Boeing teams for their hard work and dedication to the mission.
Boeing Starliner Astronauts to Return to Earth on SpaceX Crew-9 Mission
The Starliner is expected to depart from the ISS and land back on Earth autonomously in early September. The spacecraft has completed two uncrewed flights in the past, but this will be its first uncrewed return from the ISS. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said that the Starliner is a very capable spacecraft, but the decision ultimately came down to the need for a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return.
The Boeing Starliner program is a partnership between NASA and Boeing to develop a commercial crew spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. The Starliner has experienced several setbacks during its development, including the failure of its first uncrewed flight in 2019. The current flight test is a critical step in the program, and the data gathered from the uncrewed return will be essential for Boeing to make any necessary corrective actions to the spacecraft before it can be certified for crewed flights.
Boeing Starliner Astronauts to Return to Earth on SpaceX Crew-9 Mission
