NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are facing an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS) until potentially February 2025 due to unforeseen complications with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which took them to the ISS. As this was the inaugural crewed test flight of the Starliner, concerns about its safety for the return journey remain unresolved.
Launched on June 5, the Starliner was intended for a week-long mission at the ISS before returning the astronauts to Earth. The launch experienced numerous delays from various technical issues, including minor helium leaks that engineers deemed manageable on the day of liftoff.
However, upon arrival at the ISS, additional helium leaks were detected, and five of Starliner’s 28 thrusters failed. While Wilmore and Williams successfully boarded the ISS, their return timeline remains uncertain, now well past the initial schedule.
During a press conference on August 7, Ken Bowersox of NASA emphasized the risk associated with the mission from the onset, stating, “We knew that it potentially had a higher risk than a flight on a vehicle that has more experience.” Internal discussions at NASA are underway regarding the safety of sending the astronauts back aboard Starliner in light of the thruster failures and leak issues.
To better understand the risks, NASA has been conducting ground tests to replicate the problems encountered by Starliner in space. NASA’s Steve Stich remarked on the progress made, yet cautioned that further uncertainty remains regarding the spacecraft’s performance during the return trip. “We can’t totally prove with certainty that what we’re seeing on orbit is exactly what we’re seeing on the ground,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, Wilmore and Williams are not stranded indefinitely aboard the ISS. If Starliner is deemed too risky for a crewed return, its software can be adjusted for an autonomous, uncrewed descent. Additionally, the SpaceX Crew Dragon, currently docked at the ISS, could be modified to accommodate two extra astronauts.
A potential solution lies with the upcoming Crew Dragon launch, now rescheduled for September. Originally intended to carry four astronauts to the ISS, this mission may instead transport only two, allowing Wilmore and Williams to return once their extended stay concludes in February 2025.
While both astronauts are prepared for an array of activities, including spacewalks, this revised plan would extend their mission from the originally planned eight days to nearly eight months. NASA has tasked SpaceX and Boeing with initiating the necessary updates for either contingency plan, though a final decision is still pending.
“Those are backup contingency plans,” highlighted ISS manager Dana Weigel during the press conference, reinforcing that no specific return strategy has been finalized. A decision on the astronauts’ return is anticipated by mid-August, with implications for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program yet to be fully understood.
