NASA has decided to call in SpaceX to rescue two astronauts who have been marooned on the International Space Station (ISS) since early June. The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams originally rode into orbit on a Boeing spacecraft that ran into a slew of midflight issues. Now, they’ll hitch a ride back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, marking a dramatic turn in their saga.
On Saturday, NASA officials, including Administrator Bill Nelson, huddled in Houston, Texas to review the situation. Following this review, they announced their decision during a briefing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. At the beginning of August, though NASA had contingency plans to bring them home, it had not decided which plan to implement.
The switch to SpaceX ends months of uncertainty and speculation about how and when Wilmore and Williams would return home. Their original mission was set to last around eight days, but instead, they’ve been living aboard the ISS for much longer than expected.
Astronauts to Remain on ISS for Six More Months
While the astronaut rescue plan is now in place, Wilmore and Williams will need to stay on the ISS for about six more months. Their return is scheduled for February when they’ll catch a ride on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. This mission will take two new crew members instead of four to the space station and free up two seats for Wilmore and Williams to return home. Crew-9 is slated to launch on September 24 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Boeing’s Starliner has been plagued by setbacks, further complicating Boeing’s quest to compete with SpaceX in the space race. The Starliner program had faced major hurdles, with costs spiralling more than $1.5 billion over budget and years of delays even before Wilmore and Williams’ mission began.
As for the Starliner capsule, it will make its way back to Earth without a crew, NASA confirmed. The mission’s mishaps and ongoing troubles mark a significant challenge for Boeing as it continues to grapple with its space ambitions.
