NASA says Boeing's Starliner astronauts could return to space aboard SpaceX capsule in February 2025
WASHINGTON: NASA officials said Wednesday that two astronauts carried to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing's Starliner could return aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon in February 2025 if the Starliner is deemed unsafe to return to Earth.
The U.S. space agency has been discussing potential plans with SpaceX to leave two empty seats on the Crew Dragon launch carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who would become the first crew members to fly on Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
The astronauts' test mission was initially expected to last about eight days on the space station, but problems with the Starliner's propulsion system have caused delays that have raised questions about the spacecraft's ability to safely return the astronauts to Earth as planned.
A Boeing spokesperson said that if NASA decides to change Starliner's mission, the company will “take the necessary steps to configure Starliner for an unmanned return.”
When Starliner suffered a thruster failure during its first approach to the ISS in June, and the helium used to pressurize the thrusters leaked multiple times, Boeing launched a test campaign to determine the cause and propose solutions to NASA, which has the final say. The latest results have revealed new information, raising concerns about a safe return.
The latest test data has sparked disagreement and debate within NASA over whether to risk returning Starliner to Earth or use Crew Dragon instead.
Returning astronauts aboard SpaceX's spacecraft, which Boeing had planned to return to space aboard its Starliner, would be a major blow to the aerospace giant, which has struggled for years to compete with SpaceX's more experienced Crew Dragon.
Starliner will remain docked to the International Space Station for up to 90 days, parked at the port where Crew Dragon will be used to launch astronauts.
Early Tuesday morning, NASA used a SpaceX rocket and a Northrop Grumman capsule to deliver routine food and supplies, including extra clothing for Wilmore and Williams, to the space station.
Starliner’s high-risk mission is the final test required before NASA certifies the spacecraft for routine astronaut flights to the ISS. Crew Dragon has been approved by NASA for astronaut flights in 2020.
Starliner development has been delayed by management issues and numerous engineering problems. Since 2016, Boeing has spent $1.6 billion, including $125 million from Starliner’s current test mission, according to securities filings.
NASA's concerns
A meeting this week of NASA's Commercial Crew Spacecraft Program (which oversees Starliner) ended with some officials rejecting Boeing's test data and their plan to return astronauts to space using Starliner, officials said at a news conference.
“We didn’t conduct the survey in a way that led to any conclusions,” said Steve Stitch, commercial flight attendant program director.
“There were a lot of people who had concerns, but the decision wasn’t clear,” added Ken Bowersachs, NASA’s director of space operations.
Boeing executives did not attend Wednesday's news conference.
No decision has been made on whether to use Starliner or Crew Dragon, but NASA has bought Boeing more time to conduct more tests and gather more data to build a better case for trusting Starliner. Officials say NASA expects to make a decision sometime next week.
NASA on Tuesday delayed SpaceX’s upcoming Crew Dragon mission, a routine flight called Crew-9, by more than a month. The mission is set to send three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station.
NASA's ISS program manager said it hasn't decided yet which astronauts will be assigned to the mission, if needed, for Wilmore and Williams.
So far, Boeing's test results show that four Starliner jets failed in June, automatically shutting down due to overheating, and another propulsion unit that was reignited during the test appeared weaker than usual due to propellant restrictions.
Ground tests conducted at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in late July revealed that the propulsion system was overheating, causing Teflon seals to bend and propellant tubes to clog, reducing thrust.
“It raises the level of discomfort and suggests that we don’t fully understand the physics of what’s going on,” Stitch said, explaining why NASA, which previously downplayed such prospects to reporters, now appears more willing to discuss the Crew Dragon situation.
