Boeing’s crewed Starliner capsule encountered helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters on June 6 as it approached the International Space Station (ISS). Even though the company performed rigorous testing both on the ground and in orbit to identify the root cause, NASA representatives were not in universal agreement over the fate of Starliner.
For a long time, the agency downplayed the issues that resulted in the prolonged stay of its astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. However, behind the scenes, the possibility of the crew’s return on a competing Crew Dragon spacecraft was seriously considered.
The possibility was first reported by Ars Technica’s senior space editor, Eric Berger, who received harsh criticism from some of the space enthusiasts online, accusing him of essentially fabricating the story.
However, a few weeks later, NASA confirmed Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will indeed not return onboard Starliner. The capsule will come back autonomously in early September, while the two astronauts will spend eight months onboard the ISS, instead of just their originally planned eight-day stay.
Wilmore and Williams will return home in February 2025 with SpaceX Crew-9. The SpaceX mission currently scheduled for September 24 will carry only two astronauts to make room for the pair unexpectedly still occupying the ISS.
Associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, Ken Bowersox, commented on the decision-making process:
“Decisions like this are never easy, but I want to commend our NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, transparent discussions, and focus on safety during the Crew Flight Test. We’ve learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and its docked operations. We also will continue to gather more data about Starliner during the uncrewed return and improve the system for future flights to the space station.”
Following NASA’s Saturday press conference, Boeing released the following official statement:
"Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
While the news sounds embarrassing for Boeing, it is in the best interest of everyone involved given NASA’s dark history of the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia disasters. The company has an opportunity to perform a successful return from the ISS and to finish its test mission by proving its capsule is safe and ready for the operation phase.
It is worth mentioning, though, that even a successful landing of Starliner won’t automatically secure it the certification plaque. NASA hinted that upon reviewing all mission-related data, additional actions might be required from Boeing to meet the certification requirements. The worst-case scenario would be another test mission to the ISS, resulting in further financial losses for Boeing.