NASA has announced a significant update to its Boeing Starliner program. Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore will now return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in February 2025, instead of the originally planned Starliner. This change follows concerns over technical issues with Starliner’s propulsion system, which were considered too risky for a crewed return.
Sunita Williams’ return from the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed due to issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was initially planned to bring her back to Earth. Technical challenges with the Starliner’s thrusters and other systems have caused NASA and Boeing to conduct additional reviews and tests to ensure the spacecraft’s safety before it is cleared for the return journey.
Initially planned for just 8 days, this mission has been delayed by 8 months now due to faulty thrusters of Boeing’s spacecraft. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has revealed that Starliner’s propulsion system, plagued by thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, posed a great risk for a crewed return of the spacecraft.
He stated that “Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September.”
To ensure the safe return of the astronauts, NASA has decided to bring them back in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of in the Starliner. Notably, Starliner, a competitor of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, has been in the works for several years now. It aimed to become the second private sector option for carrying astronauts to and from orbit.
