NASA announced on Wednesday that the decision regarding the potential extension of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams’ stay at the International Space Station (ISS) is still undecided, with a resolution possibly being delayed “until early next year,” as reported by the Associated Press.
The report indicated that rather than returning to Earth in Boeing’s problematic Starliner capsule, Wilmore and Williams may instead catch a ride on SpaceX’s upcoming mission. This alternative plan could prolong their stay at the ISS until February 2025. Last week, NASA confirmed that it is working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to arrange the astronauts’ return if the Boeing spacecraft is deemed unsuitable for the trip.
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The test pilots initially anticipated being away for just a week when they launched as the first crew aboard Boeing’s Starliner. However, following their early June launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Boeing’s first manned mission under its commercial crew program faced several challenges, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.
In recent weeks, astronauts have been performing additional tests in space to resolve these issues—tasks that couldn’t be completed on Earth.
What are NASA officials saying?
NASA officials are currently reviewing additional data before making a decision, which is expected by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week. The thrusters in question are crucial for maintaining the capsule’s orientation during its descent from orbit. “We’ve got time available before we bring Starliner home, and we want to use that time wisely,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s space operations mission chief.
NASA’s safety chief, Russ DeLoach, added, “We don’t have enough insight and data to make some sort of simple, black-and-white calculation.”
Switching to SpaceX would require displacing two of the four astronauts currently set for the next ferry flight, scheduled for late September. Once that six-month mission ends, Wilmore and Williams would take the vacant seats in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
The other complication
The space station has only two docking spots for US capsules, meaning Boeing’s capsule must leave before SpaceX’s Dragon arrives to free up a spot.
Boeing maintains that Starliner is still capable of safely bringing the astronauts back to Earth. Earlier this month, the company provided a list of thruster tests that have been carried out both in space and on the ground since the launch.
According to the Associated Press, NASA prefers to keep SpaceX’s current crew at the space station until their replacements arrive, unless there’s an emergency. The crew, initially scheduled to return this month, had their mission extended by a seventh month due to the uncertainty with Starliner, keeping them at the station until late September. Although space station missions typically last six months, some have extended up to a year.
Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains, have prior experience spending months on the space station. After their arrival, they swiftly adjusted to station tasks, contributing to experiments and repairs.
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