NASA Chooses SpaceX To Bring Back 'Stranded' NASA Astronauts Early Next Year, Boeing Starliner To Return Uncrewed

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, two astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since docking there on June 6th, will return on a SpaceX vehicle instead of Boeing’s Starliner in which they arrived there, space agency NASA announced.

Wilmore and Williams will now fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members in a SpaceX Crew-9 mission scheduled in February 2025.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is currently stuck at the International Space Station due to several technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster problems.

NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with five of the 28 spacecraft reaction control thrusters on June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. 

"Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans." NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

"The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence do not meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission." he further added.

NASA and Boeing plan to undock Starliner from the space station, and transport it back uncrewed to Earth in early September. Starliner is designed to operate autonomously and previously completed two uncrewed flights.

NASA's decision is seen as a big setback for Boeing's defence and space division adding further woes to the aerospace behemoth which has been seen its commercial-aircraft division facing a grave crisis. The company had maintained that Starliner was safe enough to conduct the return flight with both astronauts.

An iconic firm once viewed as representing the apogee of the U.S.'s manufacturing and technological prowess, Boeing has suffered serious reputational damage since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under further scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight this January.

In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion fixed-price contract to build a vehicle to carry astronauts to the International Space Station after the retirement of space shuttles. Over the decade, it has lost over $1.4 billion due to delays driven by software challenges, issues related to valves, and the spacecraft’s parachute system.

NASA's decision also underscores the criticality of Space X in realising the U.S 'space ambitions. Elon Musk-led company is likely to play a pivotal role in future planned moon landings, launches of research satellites, and more.