There is no new official information on the prospects of the long-delayed, ongoing Starliner test mission, which was supposed to demonstrate that Boeing’s crewed module can safely carry the astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). However, at least some people familiar with the mission are willing to share what’s going on.
One such information is that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is now more likely to carry astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back home than the struggling Starliner. The latest one, though, is equally interesting. It seems that the Starliner is currently unable to come back to Earth on its own if its crew is forced to stay on the ISS, Ars Technica reported.
The issue is directly connected to the possibility9 of the Starliner crew being reassigned to Crew Dragon (whose workhorse Falcon 9 rocket had its own problems recently). In that case, Boeing’s module would have to separate from the ISS autonomously and perform a reentry to the atmosphere before – hopefully – a safe landing.
However, Ars Technica’s multiple insider sources have confirmed that Starliner’s flight software in its current configuration lacks the code to perform an autonomous undocking. The reason is unknown. It is surprising, specifically, because Starliner have already performed this exact maneuver in 2022 during the previous uncrewed test flight.
Ars reported that updating Starliner’s flight software is "non-trivial" and "significant," according to its insider sources, and it might take up to four weeks.
This is a problem that goes beyond Starliner. Insiders expect NASA to announce a delay of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission as soon as this week – from August 18 to September 24. Crew Dragon missions typically carry four astronauts; however, one of the alternatives to a nominal Starliner return is to launch Crew-9 with only two astronauts, leaving two seats empty for a return trip with Wilmore and Williams.
It is understood that NASA has not yet made a definitive decision. In the meantime, the agency is being criticized for a lack of transparency regarding the mission, which brings back memories of NASA’s darkest days.
Update: NASA confirmed that the start of Crew-9 mission is now targeted at no earlier than September 24, saying: "This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory." On Wednesday, NASA will host a media teleconference about the ongoing situation.