Cape Canaveral: NASA announced on Saturday that it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, so they’ll have to wait until next year for a return flight with SpaceX. What was initially planned as a weeklong test flight will now extend to over eight months.
The experienced pilots have been at the International Space Station since early June. Their journey was plagued by a series of frustrating thruster failures and helium leaks in the new capsule, leading to a prolonged stay as engineers conducted tests and deliberated over the best course of action for their return.
After nearly three months of deliberation, NASA made the final decision on Saturday: astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return to Earth aboard a SpaceX spacecraft in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt an autonomous return, landing in the New Mexico desert. As Starliner’s test pilots, Wilmore and Williams were originally slated to oversee this critical final leg of the mission.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized that, given the inherent risks of test flights, the decision to delay was made with safety as the top priority. Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator, echoed this sentiment, calling the decision a necessary commitment to safety, despite the difficulty.
The setback is a significant blow to Boeing, which had hoped Starliner’s first crewed flight would revitalize its troubled program. Boeing had maintained that Starliner was safe based on recent thruster tests, but the issues have compounded the safety concerns that have plagued the company, particularly on the aviation side.
Boeing did not participate in NASA’s press conference but released a statement emphasizing their commitment to crew and spacecraft safety. They are focusing on preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return.
Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, both experienced Navy captains with prior long-duration spaceflight experience, were prepared for challenges but not to this degree. Before their launch on June 5 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, they acknowledged the inherent uncertainties and stress of their mission. In their only orbital news conference last month, they expressed trust in the thruster tests and had no complaints, despite the extended mission.
Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, was pragmatic about the delay, expressing readiness to adjust to the new timeline. NASA’s Norm Knight confirmed that the astronauts fully support the decision to delay their return.
With limited options available, NASA ruled out a quick SpaceX rescue. The SpaceX capsule at the space station is reserved for the four astronauts who have been there since March. They will return in late September, but adding Wilmore and Williams would exceed safety limits. The docked Russian Soyuz capsule, with room for only three, is already occupied by two Russian astronauts concluding their yearlong mission. Thus, Wilmore and Williams will await SpaceX’s next taxi flight, scheduled for late September, which will carry two astronauts instead of the usual four to make room for their return in February.
NASA did not seriously consider a rapid SpaceX rescue, recalling the previous year’s rush to replace a damaged Soyuz capsule, which extended the mission of three astronauts beyond a year—a US space endurance record held by Frank Rubio.
