At a press conference today, NASA said they have a backup plan to bring astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams back from the International Space Station (ISS) early next year.
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If they can’t leave earlier on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that took them there, the backup plan will use SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. However, the Crew-9 launch has been delayed as officials decide what to do next.
After a successful crewed launch of the Boeing Starliner on June 5th (which was delayed several times), the two astronauts were initially set to spend about a week on the ISS before returning to Earth.
However, the Starliner faced thruster failures and helium leaks while docking with the ISS, along with more delays. As a result, the astronauts have been stuck in orbit for over two months while Boeing and NASA figure out if the spacecraft is still safe to use.
Boeing’s Starliner Faces More Problems and NASA Plans Backup with SpaceX
The crewed test flight in June was supposed to happen seven years ago, and Boeing’s Starliner program has faced major delays and cost overruns. If SpaceX has to bring the astronauts back to Earth, it would be another setback for Boeing this year, which also saw a door plug exploding from one of its planes mid-flight and Boeing pleading guilty to a criminal fraud charge.
Tests at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility suggested that deformed Teflon seals might be causing the Starliner’s thruster failures. However, NASA likely won’t decide if Williams and Wilmore can return using Boeing’s spacecraft until mid-August.
NASA officials still prefer using the Starliner, but if that doesn’t work out, the backup plan is for SpaceX to send two astronauts to the ISS on a Crew-9 launch in late September.
This would leave two seats open for Williams and Wilmore to return in February next year. If this happens, Boeing will modify the Starliner so it can return to Earth without a crew before the SpaceX Crew-9 launch.
Conclusion
If the Boeing Starliner can’t bring astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams back as planned, NASA will use SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission to do it instead. Boeing faces more trouble this year, and NASA will decide by mid-August whether the Starliner can be used safely.
