Two US astronauts who went into space on an eight-day mission in June could be stuck on the International Space Station until next year unless their Boeing Starliner can be repaired so they can return home, NASA said on Thursday.
NASA officials said that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were the first crew to fly on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, could return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if the Starliner is still deemed unsafe to return to Earth.
The US space agency is discussing with SpaceX possible plans to leave two empty seats on the upcoming Crew Dragon launch, which was postponed for a month on Tuesday as NASA and Boeing decide how to get astronauts home.
The astronauts’ June 5 test flight, originally expected to last about eight days on the station, has been delayed by problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system that have increasingly cast doubt on the spacecraft’s ability to return them safely to Earth as planned.
A Boeing spokesperson said that if NASA decides to change Starliner’s mission, the company will “take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for a crewless return.”
Using a SpaceX craft to return the astronauts Boeing had planned to carry on Starliner would be a major blow to the aerospace giant, which has struggled for years to compete with SpaceX and its more experienced Crew Dragon.
The Starliner capsule has been docked to the ISS for 63 of the maximum 90 days allowed, and it is in the same port that Crew Dragon will have to use to deliver the next crew of astronauts.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 launch was originally scheduled for mid-August. NASA now says the mission will launch after September 24.
Trouble with Starliner
Boeing said in July that after extensive ground testing, engineers identified problems inside the Starliner, including a sudden engine malfunction and a helium leak.
The company also said in a statement on August 2 that “its confidence in the return of Starliner with crew remains high.”
Recent reports have suggested that a new conflict has been brewing behind the scenes between NASA and Boeing executives. Some of the agency’s top officials appeared to question whether Starliner should bring Williams and Wilmore back.
A meeting this week of NASA’s commercial crew programme, which oversees Starliner, ended with some officials disagreeing with a plan to accept Boeing’s test data and use Starliner to bring astronauts home, officials said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Earlier, Boeing’s tests showed that four of Starliner’s jet engines failed due to overheating and automatic shutdowns, while other engines re-ignited during the tests were weaker than normal due to some fuel constraints.
