NASA is grappling with how to safely return two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, from the International Space Station (ISS) after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft developed faults during their journey to the station.
The astronauts, who arrived at the ISS in June for an eight-day mission, now face the possibility of staying until February due to thruster failures and helium leaks that have cast doubt on the Starliner’s ability to bring them back to Earth.
NASA’s space operations mission chief, Ken Bowersox, explained the agency’s cautious approach: “We’ve got time available before we bring Starliner home, and we want to use that time wisely.” He added that a decision on whether to use the Starliner or an alternative method, such as SpaceX’s next mission, will be made either “by the end of next week or the beginning of the next.”
The thruster issues are critical for ensuring the capsule’s proper orientation during re-entry. If NASA opts for SpaceX, it would mean extending the astronauts’ stay on the ISS to eight months. Switching to SpaceX would also involve standing down two of the four astronauts scheduled for the SpaceX flight in September to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
NASA’s safety chief, Russ DeLoach, emphasized the agency’s commitment to thorough decision-making, stating, “We don’t have enough insight and data to make some sort of simple, black-and-white calculation.” He noted that the agency is taking time to consider all opinions, unlike previous tragedies, saying, “That may mean, at times, we don’t move very fast because we’re getting everything out, and I think you can kind of see that at play here.”
Another challenge is that the space suits Wilmore and Williams used for the Starliner mission may not be suitable for the SpaceX Dragon capsule, potentially forcing the astronauts to return to Earth without their suits. NASA’s deputy associate administrator, Joel Montalbano, remarked, “They would come unsuited in the [SpaceX] Crew Dragon.”
NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba praised the astronauts’ professionalism, stating, “They will do what we ask them to do. That’s their job as astronauts. This mission is a test flight, and as Butch and Suni expressed ahead of their launch, they knew this mission might not be perfect.”
The decision on how to bring the astronauts home remains pending as NASA continues its analysis to ensure a safe return.
