NASA Postpones Crew-9 Return Mission To Evaluate Boeing Starliner Reliability
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the International Space Station on June 6, with the duo only intending to stay for about a week. However, concerns over the safety of the spacecraft following the detection of helium leaks have caused NASA to delay their return. Two months later and crews on the ground are still performing tests to ensure the spacecraft can return the astronauts safely. Now, NASA has once again delayed the return flight home, as it allows the data to drive the decision on when to bring Wilmore and Williams home.
In a statement, the space agency reported, “This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory. Starliner ground teams are taking their time to analyze the results of recent docked hot-fire testing, finalize flight rationale for the spacecraft’s integrated propulsion system, and confirm system reliability ahead of Starliner’s return to Earth.”
NASA did not go into detail about why it decided to push back the return flight once again. One possible reason for the extended delay is to correct a software flaw on the spacecraft that would prevent it from making an automated undocking from the ISS.
Kent Rominger, a former astronaut who serves on the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, praised NASA’s caution in returning Starliner to Earth. Rominger remarked, “NASA’s commercial crew program appears to be following disciplined processes working through the helium leaks and the thruster fail-off issues.”
Boeing remains confident in Starliner and its ability to return the crew back to Earth. In a statement last week, the space company remarked, “We continue to support NASA’s requests for additional testing, data, analysis and reviews to affirm the spacecraft’s safe undocking and landing capabilities.” It added, “Our confidence is based on this abundance of valuable testing from Boeing and NASA,” while noting the testing has confirmed 27 of 28 RCS thrusters are healthy and back to full operational capacity.
NASA will take part in a media teleconference at 12:30pm EDT today, where it will discuss ongoing operations, including NASA’s Crew-9, Crew-8, and Crew Flight Test missions.
**Update 8/7/2024 3:35pm EDT**
During NASA's media teleconference today, the space agency said its contingency plan of bringing the two astronauts back to Earth with an alternative spacecraft was still in play. If the astronauts end up having to wait on another ride home, it will be at least February, 2025, before it would happen. If that turns out to be the case, Williams and Wilmore will catch a ride with SpaceX Crew-9 members.
"I don't think we're too far away from making that call," Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, remarked during the teleconference in reference to bringing back the astronauts aboard another spacecraft. "We know at some point we need to bring Butch and Suni home."
