NASA: Starliner Astronauts May Not Return Until February

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the International Space Station for more than two months despite an intended eight-day stay.

Wednesday, August 07, 2024 at 04:41 PM ET

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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have spent two months aboard the International Space Station and may not return until February. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the International Space Station for over two months, significantly longer than their planned eight-day stay aboard Boeing's Starliner.
NASA's confidence in Starliner's ability to safely return the crew is waning due to persistent issues, including stabilized helium leaks and five faulty reaction control system (RCS) thrusters linked to a problematic Teflon seal.
The agency is seriously evaluating an alternative plan for the astronauts to return in February via SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which would be reconfigured to accommodate them.
NASA aims to make a final decision by mid-August, acknowledging internal disagreement between its own teams and Boeing regarding Starliner's readiness for a crewed return.

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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have now spent more than two months on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Boeing Starliner’s crew flight test (CFT), which the space agency intended to be an eight-day stay. NASA now says they may not return until February.

NASA officials on Wednesday held a media briefing, during which stakeholders revealed that confidence in Starliner’s ability to return the astronauts is waning. According to Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, teams are “getting more serious about evaluating our other options.”

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.