NASA announces decision on how and when to bring back two astronauts trapped in the space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Will two NASA astronauts soon return to Earth in their wrecked Boeing capsule? Or will they wait at the International Space Station next year for a flight home with SpaceX?

NASA has been wrestling with this decision since Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the orbiting laboratory in early June for a test flight that was supposed to last a week.

Boeing has expressed confidence in its spacecraft, but there is disagreement within NASA.

A final decision is expected from top space agency officials on Saturday.

What’s going on with Boeing’s Starliner?

This is Boeing’s first test flight after two empty Starliners previously flew with software and other problems. Even before Wilmore and Williams’ launch on June 5, their capsule had a leak in the propulsion line. Boeing and NASA judged the small helium leak to be stable and isolated and carried out the test flight. But as the Starliner approached the space station the next day, four more leaks occurred. Five engines also failed.

The capsule was able to dock safely and eventually four of the engines were working. But engineers did everything they could, conducting engine tests on the ground and in space. After two and a half months, the cause of the engine malfunctions is still not fully understood. All but one of the 28 engines appear to be working properly, but there are concerns that if too many fail again, the crew’s safety could be at risk. The engines are needed at the end of the flight to keep the capsule in the right position for the critical deorbit burn.

Are the two astronauts stranded?

NASA is outraged at the suggestion that Wilmore and Williams are stranded or stuck. NASA has stressed from the beginning that in the event of an emergency on the space station – such as a fire or decompression – Starliner could still be used by the pair as a lifeboat for escape. A former NASA executive claims the astronauts are “kind of pinned down,” although they are certainly not stranded. They are safe aboard the space station and have plenty of supplies and work to do, Scott Hubbard recently stressed.

If NASA decides to return with SpaceX, Starliner would first be unmoored to free up one of two parking spots for U.S. capsules. Before that, Wilmore and Williams would build seats for themselves in the SpaceX Dragon capsule currently docked to the space station. That’s because every station occupant needs a lifeboat at all times. Once Starliner’s docking slot is empty, SpaceX could launch another Dragon capsule to fill that spot – the one Wilmore and Williams would ride in.

Why might they have to wait until next year?

Like Boeing’s Starliner, SpaceX’s Dragon is designed to carry four astronauts. To make room for Wilmore and Williams, NASA would pull two of the four astronauts scheduled to launch to the space station with SpaceX in late September. The empty seats would be reserved for Wilmore and Williams, but they would have to stay up there until February. Station missions are designed to last at least six months. Some have lasted a year. Two Russians currently up there will complete their year-long stay when they return in September in a three-seat Soyuz capsule with a NASA crew member. There are no plans to order a special SpaceX Express, and the Dragon at the station is now the homeward bound for four residents in late September.

This is not the first time astronauts have had to extend their stay. NASA’s Frank Rubio and his two Russian crewmates spent just over a year in space after their docked Soyuz capsule was hit by space debris and leaked all the coolant. Last September, an empty Russian capsule was sent into space to retrieve them.

What do the astronauts think about all this?

Wilmore and Williams are both retired Navy captains and longtime NASA astronauts who have served long space station missions. Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, said before this test flight that they expected to learn a lot about Starliner and how it works. At their only press conference from space in July, they assured reporters they were busy helping with repairs and research, and expressed confidence in all the Starliner testing going on behind the scenes. They have not yet commented publicly on the prospects of an eight-month stay.

Is there enough food, water and air?

Wilmore and Williams’ suitcases were removed from the Starliner before launch to make room for much-needed equipment for the space station’s urine-to-drinking-water recycling system, so they had to make do with spare clothing that was already up there. A U.S. supply ship finally arrived earlier this month with their clothes, as well as extra food and scientific experiments for the entire nine-person crew. A Russian cargo ship soon followed. As for air, the space station has its own oxygen-generating systems. Despite the fat reserves, NASA wants to return to normality as soon as possible. In addition to Wilmore and Williams, four other Americans and three Russians are on board.

Why does NASA want two US space taxis?

NASA deliberately hired two companies to get its crews to the space station and back, just as it had done to deliver cargo. The space agency viewed this as a kind of insurance policy: If one crew or cargo company had to stay grounded, the other could transport the cargo. “You need an alternative, both for cost and safety and options. So NASA needs Boeing to be successful,” said Hubbard, who served on the Columbia accident investigation board in 2003.

Despite recent setbacks, NASA insists it will continue to use Boeing Starliners for astronaut flights. The goal is to send a crewed Dragon and a Starliner to the ISS every six months until the station is decommissioned in 2030. SpaceX has been involved since 2020.

What does Boeing say?

Boeing insists its capsule could still bring astronauts home safely, but promises to take the necessary steps to fly it back empty if NASA decides to do so. Earlier this month, the company released a list of all the engine tests it has conducted since launch.

“We continue to believe in the Starliner’s performance and flight capability,” the company said.

Boeing, a longtime space supplier, has struggled with numerous Starliner problems over the years. The company had to launch an empty Starliner twice before it could bring on a crew. The first flight test had to be repeated because of faulty software and other problems. The delays have cost the company more than a billion dollars.

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