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Two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since early June may not return back to Earth until 2025, NASA officials have said.
The space agency has been examining whether the two stranded astronauts could come home on board a SpaceX craft instead of the Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which has been beset with problems since its launch over two months ago.
There is lingering uncertainty over the safety of Boeing’s capsule, NASA officials said on Wednesday, and the space agency is split over the risk.
As a result, chances are increasing that test pilots Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams may have to watch from the space station as their Starliner is cut loose to return to Earth empty.
If that happens, NASA would leave behind two of four astronauts from the next SpaceX taxi flight in late September, with the vacant seats set aside for Wilmore and Williams on the return trip next February. The pair expected to be gone just a week or two when they launched June 5 as Starliner’s first crew.
NASA is bringing in additional experts to analyze the thruster failures experienced by Starliner before it docked. At the same time, NASA is looking more closely at SpaceX as a backup. At this point, “we could take either path,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA’s space operations mission chief.
The disagreements over Wilmore and Williams’ return to earth prompted officials to postpone an in-depth readiness review of the Starliner and to delay a SpaceX launch that was planned for Tuesday.
The Independent has contacted NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX for comment.
Publically, Boeing has insisted it still stands behind the Starliner, which suffered mechanical issues on its way to docking at the ISS on June 6 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission.
“Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew,” the company said in a statement on Friday. “We continue to support NASA’s requests for additional testing, data, analysis and reviews to affirm the spacecraft’s safe undocking and landing capabilities.”.
Bringing the astronauts back in a SpaceX capsule would be a major blow to Boeing.
The June flight was its first crewed mission to the ISS on the Starliner, a flagship development from the aerospace giant meant to compete with SpaceX for contracts with NASA.
Last week, Boeing reported a $125m loss on the Starliner program, adding to $1.1bn in previous losses it has taken on the effort, according to SEC filings.
The ability of the Starliner to complete its ISS mission could weigh on the fate of the half-dozen contracts it has with NASA for future flights, according to the Journal.
The issues with the Starliner add to a season of difficulty for Boeing, which has been under heavy scrutiny amid a series of mechanical issues and whistleblower claims surrounding its commercial aircraft.
These questions will all surely be on the agenda of Robert “Kelly” Ortberg, who assumes the role of chief executive at Boeing on Thursday.
