NASA officials said the two astronauts delivered to the International Space Station in June by Boeing’s Starliner could return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner is still deemed unsafe to return to Earth.
The US space agency has been discussing potential plans with SpaceX to leave two seats empty on an upcoming Crew Dragon launch for Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who became the first crew to fly Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
The astronauts’ test mission, initially expected to last about eight days on the station, has been drawn out by issues on Starliner’s propulsion system that have increasingly called into question the spacecraft’s ability to safely return them to Earth as planned.
A Boeing spokesperson said if Nasa decides to change Starliner’s mission, the company “will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return.”
Thruster failures during Starliner’s initial approach to the ISS in June and several leaks of helium – used to pressurise those thrusters – have set Boeing off on a testing campaign to understand the cause and propose fixes to Nasa, which has the final say. Recent results have unearthed new information, causing greater alarm about a safe return. Nasa, using a SpaceX rocket and a Northrop Grumman capsule, delivered a routine shipment of food and supplies to the station, including extra clothes for Wilmore and Williams.
Starliner’s high-stakes mission is a final test required before Nasa can certify the spacecraft.
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