NASA astronauts, who were stuck because of issues with Boeing's Starliner, received alarming news on Wednesday about their mission back to Earth. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over two months, might not return to Earth until February 2025.
NASA also admitted that the astronauts, who arrived on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft's first mission, might need to be rescued by SpaceX's rival CrewDragon. but still wouldn't bring the crew home until months later. The announcement is yet another major embarrassment for Boeing, which is already mired in controversy and is facing several problems affecting its commercial airplanes across the world.
Stranded in Space for Months
NASA announced another delay in bringing home Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at a press conference on Wednesday. The agency mentioned it is now considering an alternative plan involving SpaceX's Crew-9 mission.
If tests in the upcoming weeks indicate that returning on Starliner is too risky, Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, said that Wilmore and Williams would have to take Crew-9's return flight in February 2025.
"We have been working with SpaceX to ensure they are ready to respond with Crew-9 as a contingency," Stich said.
"We need to probably decide, likely in the middle of August, one path or the other to go ahead and meet the launch date for Crew-9," he added.
Tuesday marked 60 days since the Starliner crew has been in space, far exceeding the planned eight-day mission.
Thruster malfunctions and helium leaks on Starliner prompted NASA and Boeing to keep the two astronauts in orbit longer, fearing that returning on the spacecraft might lead to disaster.
During this period, the teams were conducting tests to determine if the capsule could safely fly. Last week, Boeing said that it "remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its capability to return safely with crew."
However, experts told DailyMail.com in June that NASA might have to launch a rescue mission, potentially involving Elon Musk's SpaceX to carry it out.
Return in Jeopardy
The SpaceX mission, originally scheduled for August 18, was expected to launch after Starliner had returned. However, the flight has now been postponed to September 24.
The Crew-9 mission is a regular operation planned to send four astronauts to replace the Crew-8 team on the International Space Station.
NASA said that the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which typically carries two to four passengers, can accommodate additional occupants if necessary. While NASA is collaborating with SpaceX on this backup plan, it has not yet made a final decision on which spacecraft will bring the two astronauts back to Earth.
"We have not formally committed to this path, but we wanted to ensure we had all that flexibility in place," Stich said.
Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to spend only eight days in space after their launch on June 6 aboard the Boeing Starliner, marking the spacecraft's first crewed mission.
Once in space, the crew discovered several troubling helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, leaving NASA and Boeing urgently seeking a solution.
If SpaceX, Boeing's competitor, is chosen to bring the astronauts back, it would be another significant embarrassment for the struggling aerospace company.
