Two NASA astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who traveled to space on the Boeing Starliner, will not return to Earth until February 2025.
They were originally scheduled to come back around Independence Day but will instead spend an additional six months in space due to issues with the Starliner spacecraft.
After a detailed assessment, NASA decided the spacecraft wasn’t reliable for the return journey, so Boeing’s competitor, SpaceX, will now handle their return. The Starliner will come back to Earth without its crew.
The Starliner launched on June 5 from the Kennedy Space Center with the goal of regularly transporting astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission was a crucial step for Boeing to compete with SpaceX in servicing NASA.
The mission’s purpose was to demonstrate the Starliner’s capabilities for crewed flights, but it has faced challenges.
The spacecraft will return autonomously in September to make way for SpaceX’s Crew-9, which will then bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth in February 2025.
In the meantime, they will continue working on scientific research and maintenance at the ISS. NASA has ensured that they have sufficient supplies and can still participate in the upcoming presidential election from space.
Although the Starliner’s return without crew may affect its certification process, NASA plans to review the mission data and determine next steps for Boeing.
