2024-08-07 19:56:35
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This scenario would be a humiliation for Boeing, which has been tasked by NASA since 2014 to develop this new capsule – the same year as its competitor SpaceX.
NASA announced on Wednesday that it is considering the possibility of bringing back to Earth the two astronauts who were transported to the International Space Station by Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft, due to issues encountered with this vehicle. Such a scenario would be a humiliation for Boeing, which has been tasked by NASA since 2014 to develop this new capsule – the same year as its competitor SpaceX. Elon Musk’s company has already been conducting missions to the Space Station (ISS) for four years.
Starliner launched in early June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, for a final test mission meant to certify the spacecraft before the start of its regular operations. It was initially supposed to be docked to the ISS for just over a week before returning with its crew. However, Starliner encountered issues in flight with its propulsion system as well as helium leaks. Tests have therefore been conducted to understand the causes, the results of which have so far not reassured NASA.
A decision to be made “by mid-August”
The American space agency is now considering allowing Starliner to return empty to Earth, and retrieving the two astronauts in a SpaceX vehicle, explained Steve Stich, a NASA official, on Wednesday. The next crewed mission of SpaceX, named Crew-9, is a regular crew rotation mission to the ISS, which was supposed to carry four astronauts. It could ultimately only launch with two astronauts, in order to bring back the two stranded astronauts from Boeing. They would thus remain aboard the ISS until February, the planned return date of Crew-9.
“We have not approved this plan”, warned Steve Stich during a press conference. But “we have done all the necessary work to have this plan in place”, he added. “Our preferred option is to bring Butch and Suni back aboard Starliner”, he reiterated, explaining that new tests should allow engineering teams to better understand the risks posed by the issues encountered with the spacecraft. He indicated that NASA should decide by “mid-August” between the two options. The launch date of Crew-9 has been pushed from August to late September to give NASA more time to make its decision.