08/24/2024 – 16:14
NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the International Space Station since early June, will return with SpaceX instead of using the Boeing vehicle that took them there, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Saturday. The astronauts will remain in orbit until February, when SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle carrying two more crew members, which is scheduled to launch in September, is scheduled to return with them aboard.
The decision is a setback for Boeing, which spent years developing the Starliner vehicle that carried astronauts to the space station. During the flight, several thrusters temporarily failed and engineers identified additional helium leaks in the propulsion system.
SpaceX’s decision to bring Wilmore and Williams back means they will spend about eight months total on the station. The agency had initially planned an eight-day mission focused on testing the Starliner, and at one point had even talked about bringing them back to Earth in mid-June.
Nelson said he spoke with Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s new CEO. Ortberg expressed Boeing’s intention to continue working on the challenges with Starliner, Nelson said.
Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi, who is in charge of Starliner, said Saturday in a message to company employees working on the project that the decision was not what they had hoped for. Boeing had previously said that data collected by the company and NASA on Starliner’s challenges showed the vehicle was safe enough to make the return flight with both astronauts.
Nappi said Boeing is ready to take whatever actions are necessary to support NASA’s new plan. “Our focus remains first and foremost on ensuring the safety of the crew and spacecraft,” he said in the message.
NASA’s decision not to allow Boeing to attempt a return flight with Williams and Wilmore is likely to raise questions about the Starliner’s future. Boeing has been working on the vehicle for more than a decade, reporting more than $1.4 billion in losses after delays caused by software challenges, stuck valves and the spacecraft’s parachute system. Source: Dow Jones Newswires.
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