It has been nearly two months since Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) for its first crewed test flight. Despite several technical mishaps that have delayed Starliner’s return to Earth, NASA still maintains that the vehicle has the ability to bring astronauts back to Earth. However, recent reports indicate that the space agency is looking at alternatives to bring the two astronauts home safely.
NASA officials are considering delaying the launch of the SpaceX Crew 9 mission from August 18 to September 24 and having two astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of four so that the Starliner crew can ride Another spacecraft is returning to Earth, anonymous sources told Ars Technica. The move would mark the first failure of Starliner to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and would confirm that, despite NASA’s attempts to downplay the spacecraft’s failure, it was unfit to carry astronauts back to Earth.
The Starliner CST-100 spacecraft launched on June 5 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams. Five of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed during its approach to the International Space Station, and the spacecraft suffered five helium leaks, one of which was discovered before liftoff. The mission was originally expected to last eight days, but Starliner’s return to Earth has been delayed indefinitely as the team conducts a series of tests to gather more data about the troubled craft.
Despite Starliner’s extended stay aboard the International Space Station, NASA and Boeing have repeatedly claimed that the vehicle is capable of bringing astronauts back to Earth at any time, and that the extra time in orbit is an opportunity for testing that would otherwise make the spacecraft It is not possible to conduct these tests above ground. The space agency and its commercial partners may soon renege on their promise, with reports indicating that astronauts Wilmore and Williams will fly home on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
NASA officials said at a press conference on July 10 that Starliner will need to detach from the International Space Station before the planned launch of the Crew 9 mission in August. “The first option today is to get Butch and Sonny back on Starliner,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, told reporters at a press conference in July. “At this time, we don’t see any reason to suggest otherwise.”
At the time, NASA hoped to have the Starliner crew back by the end of July. That deadline has passed, and now NASA is reportedly considering delaying the Crew 9 launch.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew 9 mission includes three NASA astronauts and one Roscosmos astronaut, who are scheduled to stay on the International Space Station for six months. However, sources reportedly told Ars Technica that the odds are greater than 50-50 that astronauts Wilmore and Williams will need to fly back on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as discussions about the feasibility of the Starliner spacecraft are ongoing. An anonymous source told CNBC that as of late last week, there was still no consensus among those responsible for making the decision, with the main concern being that they had not determined the root cause of the thruster failure.
Sending back an empty Starliner would be a major blow to NASA and its commercial partner Boeing, further reducing confidence in a vehicle that has been damaged by delays and malfunctions. So far, SpaceX has launched eight astronauts to the International Space Station and is preparing to launch a ninth astronaut, pending a final decision on whether Starliner can safely return astronauts to Earth.
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