The two Boeing Starliner astronauts who have been stranded for 80 days will remain in space for another six months, NASA officials announced Saturday.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will now return to Earth in February, while the Starliner will be returned unmanned.
Veteran astronauts Wilmore and Williams launched on June 5 aboard Boeing’s Starliner – the spacecraft’s maiden crewed voyage – for a planned eight-day mission that includes docking with the International Space Station.
However, the test flight resulted in such severe engine failures and helium leaks that NASA temporarily grounded the capsule while engineers looked for a solution.
Saturday’s announcement came on the couple’s 80th day in space.
The decision to bring the astronauts home in February was the result of a “commitment to safety,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
They will return as part of a SpaceX Dragon Crew-9 mission, officials said.
Engineering teams are still working to resolve the physics issues with the engines that caused the Starliner to run into trouble, added NASA Deputy Administrator James Free.
Free praised NASA staff for their hard work in the weeks leading up to NASA’s final decision on the issue.
“It was not an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” Free insisted.
Wilmore and Williams are expected to stay on the International Space Station for a total of eight months, said ISS manager Dana Weigel.
The couple will continue to be involved in scientific work and maintenance of the station, Weigel said.
They have already worked for about 100 hours on various experiments.
Although most ISS missions last a maximum of six months, an eight-month stay is well within the station’s normal capacity, Weigel noted.
NASA opted for an unmanned return of the Starliner, despite Boeing’s insistence that the aircraft’s return was safe.
The disagreement was due to “technical expertise” and not a trust issue between NASA and Boeing, Jim Free.
“It came down to a little disagreement about … risk,” agreed Steve Stich of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The near-miss was the result of “some tense conversations,” admitted Ken Bowersox, deputy director of the space service.
