Their arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) on the inaugural Boeing Starliner spacecraft has been prolonged by technical issues with the vehicle, forcing a longer-than-anticipated stay in space.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, originally slated for an eight-day space mission, face an extended stay until early 2025 due to unexpected delays.
Their arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) on the inaugural Boeing Starliner spacecraft has been prolonged by technical issues with the vehicle, forcing a longer-than-anticipated stay in space.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the astronauts may need to be rescued by the rival SpaceX CrewDragon spacecraft, which won’t be available until February, New York Post reports.
NASA is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
“As delays persist in the Boeing Starliner’s return journey, a contingency plan is being explored to ensure the astronauts’ safe return. Fortunately, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are secure at the ISS with ample resources and continue to perform tests and gather valuable data on the spacecraft’s performance. NASA and Boeing are collaborating to identify and rectify the technical issues promptly. The astronauts’ safety remains the paramount concern, and all possible solutions are being considered to facilitate their swift and secure return to Earth.
During a news conference on Wednesday, NASA revealed an additional delay in the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, announcing that it is now exploring an alternative plan involving SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. If upcoming tests indicate that returning on the Starliner poses too great a risk, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, confirmed that Wilmore and Williams will be forced to return to Earth on Crew-9’s scheduled 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.
Willmore and Williams were meant to spend just eight days in space following their launch aboard the Boeing Starliner on June 6 — the maiden crewed voyage for the spacecraft.
Once in space, the crew found a series of concerning helium leaks and thruster failures that have left NASA and Boeing scrambling to find a solution.
Should SpaceX, a Boeing rival, be tapped to bring the astronauts home, it could spell another embarrassing blow to the embattled aerospace giant.
