NASA To Issue Imminent Decision on Boeing’s Starliner Stranded Crew

NASA is set to decide on Saturday how the two astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth.

The decision will be shared at the conclusion of an agency-level review, with a conference call scheduled for 12:00 PM CT. The exact start time may vary, as the briefing will commence once the review has concluded, as confirmed to Newsweek. This news confirms reports from Thursday, when NASA indicated that a decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard was expected no earlier than Saturday.

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who spent the entire summer in space, were initially scheduled to return to Earth on June 14. However, their mission faced a critical setback when the capsule developed leaks and some of its thrusters malfunctioned. As ground teams work to identify the cause of these issues, their homecoming has been repeatedly delayed.

The space agency has been wrestling with a solution ever since. Initially, they were confident that Boeing’s capsule could do the job and bring the astronauts home. However, as time passed, NASA became more skeptical, not ruling out any available option, including using a different vehicle for reentry.

In a call with reporters in early August, Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, confirmed that the space agency was exploring the use of SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon as a backup plan.

If NASA decides to go with a SpaceX return, Starliner would be cut loose first to open up one of two parking spots for U.S. capsules. Before that happens, Wilmore and Williams would prepare seats for themselves in the SpaceX Dragon capsule currently docked at the space station. This is because every station occupant needs a lifeboat at all times.

Once Starliner’s docking port is empty, SpaceX could then launch another Dragon to fill that slot—the one that Wilmore and Williams would ride back to Earth.

However, if that’s the case, the Starliner crew would have their mission extended from the original 10 days to eight months, with a return in February 2025.

But if NASA decides Starliner is safe for the astronauts, the capsule will fly them home much sooner, likely within the next month, to free up the ISS docking port for the SpaceX mission.

Boeing insists its capsule could still safely bring the astronauts home but promises to take the necessary steps to fly it back empty if that’s NASA’s decision. Earlier this month, the company posted a list of all the thruster tests conducted since liftoff.

“We still believe in Starliner’s capability and its flight rationale,” the company said.

The ongoing issues with Starliner have not only delayed the crew’s return but also have significant financial implications for Boeing. The Starliner program has already incurred nearly $1.5 billion in costs due to various setbacks over the years.

The potential embarrassment of SpaceX stepping in would be one more issue in a list of headaches that Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, inherits when he takes the helm on Thursday. Ortberg’s mandate is to turn around the struggling aerospace giant, which is currently under intense scrutiny due to ongoing manufacturing problems with its jetliners, particularly the 737 Max.

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact Li******@******ek.com.