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Starliner Astronauts May Return on Delayed Crew-9 Mission

According to reports, NASA is weighing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ return on a SpaceX Dragon.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, August 06, 2024 at 04:04 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Boeing’s Starliner has been docked to the International Space Station’s Harmony module since June 6. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been on the International Space Station for two months due to multiple technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, which was only intended for an eight-day test flight.
The Starliner spacecraft encountered several anomalies, including misfiring thrusters and potential flight software problems, delaying its return and prompting NASA to explore alternative recovery options.
NASA is now considering using SpaceX's Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts back to Earth, a significant shift from its previous insistence on Starliner completing the return mission, though this alternative faces its own logistical challenges.
Boeing is under considerable pressure for Starliner to successfully return the crew, as the program has already suffered extensive delays and cost overruns, and a mission failure could jeopardize its future certification and viability.

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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the International Space Station for two months despite an intended eight-day stay, may not come home on the Boeing-built capsule that brought them there. But the alternative may not reach them until September.

NASA and Boeing are in the midst of the inaugural crew flight test (CFT) of Starliner, a semireusable vessel to the ISS under contract for agency service missions as soon as next year. But en route to the orbital laboratory, the spacecraft suffered several anomalies that have led teams to keep it on the ISS for further testing.

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.