NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams may be stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) until February 2025 after issues cropped up with the spacecraft they rode to the station. This was the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, and it is not yet clear whether it will be safe for Wilmore and Williams to use it to get home. When two American astronauts blasted off on a test mission to the International Space Station on June 5th, they were expecting to be back home in a matter of days. The pair, now stuck indefinitely, may even spend Christmas and New Year in space.
Contingency Plans for Return
Despite the potential delays, NASA has contingency plans to ensure that Wilmore and Williams can return home safely. If Starliner is deemed too risky for the return trip, the spacecraft’s software will be reconfigured for an autonomous, uncrewed return to Earth. In this case, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule currently docked at the ISS would be modified to accommodate two additional astronauts.
The primary backup plan involves utilizing the next Crew Dragon launch, which has been rescheduled to September. Initially intended to carry four astronauts to the ISS, this mission might instead transport only two, leaving room for Wilmore and Williams if necessary. This approach would push their return to February 2025.
Problems with the Maiden Voyage
Starliner launched on June 5 with the goal of spending about a week docked to the ISS before bringing the astronauts back to Earth. However, the launch had already been delayed multiple times due to various minor issues with the spacecraft. Even on launch day, minor helium leaks were detected, but engineers decided these were not severe enough to postpone the mission further. Problems, however, emerged as the spacecraft approached the ISS, including leaks in its propulsion system and some of its thrusters shutting down.
At a news briefing yesterday, Nasa officials said no firm decisions had been made when it comes to next steps.
“Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner,” Steve Stich, manager of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, said. “However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open.”
Current Status of the Crew
This is the third stint aboard the ISS for Williams, 58, a retired Navy helicopter pilot, while Wilmore, 61, is a former fighter jet pilot who has been to space twice before. Despite the uncertainty regarding their return, both astronauts have adapted well to their roles on the ISS. Williams described their experience as “great” and expressed satisfaction with their work and life aboard the station.
Boeing’s Assurance and NASA’s Planning
Boeing remains optimistic about the Starliner’s future. The company has expressed confidence in the spacecraft’s ability to return safely and continues to support NASA’s requests for additional testing and analysis to validate its safety. A failure to return the astronauts aboard the Starliner would be a significant setback for Boeing, which hoped the mission would demonstrate the spacecraft’s reliability for regular operations.
