NASA announced on Wednesday that the decision on whether astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) has not yet been made. According to an Associated Press report, the decision could be extended “until early next year.”
The report mentioned that rather than returning to Earth aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule, Wilmore and Williams could instead fly on SpaceX’s next mission. This alternative would extend their stay on the ISS until February 2025. Last week, NASA confirmed that it is working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to plan the astronauts’ return if the Boeing spacecraft is deemed unsuitable for their journey.
The test pilots had originally expected to be out for just a week when they became the first crew to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner. However, after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in early June, the first manned mission for Boeing’s commercial crew program encountered several setbacks, including engine malfunctions and helium leaks.
To solve these problems, astronauts have been conducting additional tests in space over the past few weeks – tasks that could not be performed on Earth.
What do NASA officials say?
NASA officials said they would review more data before making a decision, which is expected late next week or early next week. These thrusters are critical to maintaining the capsule’s proper orientation during its descent from orbit. “We still have time before we bring Starliner home, and we want to use that time wisely,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s mission manager.
NASA safety chief Russ DeLoach added: “We don’t have enough knowledge and data to make a simple, unambiguous calculation.”
A move to SpaceX would mean replacing two of the four astronauts currently scheduled for the next ferry flight, scheduled for late September. After completing that six-month mission, Wilmore and Williams would fill the vacant seats in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
What is the other complication?
Since there are only two docking slots available for US capsules on the space station, Boeing’s capsule must depart before SpaceX arrives with the Dragon capsule and frees up one of the slots.
Boeing insists Starliner is still capable of returning astronauts safely to Earth. Earlier this month, the company released a list of the engine tests it has conducted in space and on the ground since launch.
According to the Associated Press report, NASA prefers to keep the current SpaceX crew on board the space station until their replacements arrive, unless an emergency occurs. The crew’s mission, originally scheduled to return to Earth this month, has been extended for a seventh month due to the uncertainty surrounding Starliner, so they will remain on the station until the end of September. Space station missions typically last six months, but some have been extended to a full year.
Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains, have already spent several months on the space station. After their arrival, they quickly settled into their duties on the station, helping with experiments and repairs.
