Summary NASA is set to reveal decision on returning two astronauts aboard Starliner this Saturday. Crew Dragon considered as an alternative for the astronauts, potentially extending their time in space until 2025. NASA and Boeing at odds on Starliner after problems with thrusters and helium leaks.
A decision on whether to bring home two NASA astronauts on Starliner is expected to be revealed this Saturday. NASA and Boeing have spent several weeks studying Starliner's leak and thruster problems, and are considering SpaceX's Crew Dragon as an alternative vessel for the two stranded astronauts. Starliner decision expected on Saturday With astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams now in their third month aboard the International Space Station (ISS), a firm decision about how they will get home will finally be reached as early as this Saturday.
NASA has remained consistent in its efforts to prioritize a return on Starliner, but has kept a return on Crew Dragon as a feasible backup plan. According to a NASA statement, "NASA's decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts aboard is expected no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 24, at the conclusion of an agency-level review.
" This review is being chaired by Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, and will be attended by NASA administrator Bill Nelson, among other leading mission figures. NASA and Boeing specialists continue to analyze data ahead of the review's conclusion - NASA will then host a news conference to reveal its decision. If they return on Crew Dragon it wouldn't be until February 2025.
Several weeks of testing and planning have taken place since Starliner encountered thruster problems and sprung several helium leaks. For their part, Boeing engineers have stated their confidence that the testing data proves Starliner can safely return, while NASA has adopted greater caution. There's also the important matter of Starliner's batteries, which were initially rated for 45 days but then extended to 90 days.
With the mission now approaching 80 days, Bowersox has previously said that the agency "really should be making a call" by the end of August. Crew Dragon contingency The Boeing Crew Flight Test mission was initially scheduled to last eight days but has now reached 79 days and counting. NASA's decision will have a major impact on how much longer Wilmore and Williams will stay in space.
Should it opt for Starliner, the two astronauts will likely be returning next month to vacate one of the ISS' docking ports. The space agency says planning will continue into next week. However, Wilmore and Williams will face another six months onboard the ISS if NASA goes with the SpaceX Crew Dragon option, with the Crew-9 mission scheduled for a February 2025 return to Earth.
In that eventuality, Starliner will attempt to return to Earth unmanned, a capability removed from its flight software but likely patched in time for next month. The Crew-9 mission will also likely launch next month , but two of its four crew would stay on Earth if NASA decides not to attempt a crewed Starliner return. The SpaceX Falcon 9 booster earmarked for that mission - B1085 - recently completed its first flight by launching 22 Starlink satellites into orbit .
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