HOUSTON—NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced during a press conference on Saturday, August 24, at Johnson Space Center, that stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who are currently on the International Space Station (ISS) will not be returning on Boeing’s Starliner, citing safety concerns, but on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft in February of 2025.
“NASA’s goal has always been to maintain a safe and robust human spaceflight program,” Nelson said. “While Boeing continues to make progress, we must also ensure that our astronauts are supported by proven and reliable systems. SpaceX has demonstrated its capability through multiple successful crewed flights, and we are confident in the Crew Dragon’s ability to safely transport Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth.”
Nelson further shared that the Starliner, the spacecraft used by both Wilmore and Williams to board the ISS will return uncrewed in September which will allow Boeing to continue gathering more information to improve Starliner’s capabilities. He also reiterated NASA’s commitment to its partnership with Boeing, expressing confidence that the Starliner will eventually join SpaceX’s Dragon in providing regular crew transportation to and from the ISS.
“Boeing is an important partner, and we are working closely with them to resolve the remaining issues,” Nelson said. “Our commercial crew partners are critical to the future of human spaceflight, and we look forward to having both SpaceX and Boeing providing services to NASA.”
Both Wilmore and Williams are seasoned astronauts, with Wilmore having previously commanded the ISS and Williams holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman.
“Continuing American leadership in space is so important for our national security and scientific innovation,” Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released in statement on Saturday. “I spoke with Administrator Nelson this morning about the Starliner decision and asked NASA to regularly update the Committee as they continue to work to bring our astronauts home safely.”
LIVE: We're discussing NASA's @BoeingSpace Crew Flight Test following the completion of today's Agency Test Flight Readiness Review. Listen in for the latest #Starliner updates. https://t.co/M2ODFmLuTj
— NASA (@NASA) August 24, 2024
NASA’s partnership with SpaceX is part of its Commercial Crew Program, that aims to develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective travel to and from the International Space Station (ISS). This initiative was launched following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, that left the United States without a domestic spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to the ISS. Since then, NASA has relied on Russian Soyuz spacecraft for crew transportation to and from the ISS.
For the last four years, the Dragon spacecraft built by SpaceX and designed to carry both crew and cargo, has successfully launched thirteen consecutive human spaceflight missions, safely flying 50 crewmembers to and from Earth’s orbit.
Polaris Dawn, SpaceX Dragon spacecraft’s next mission that is scheduled for August 27, 2024, will be led by Jared Isaacman as commander, along with pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both SpaceX engineers.
The crew’s mission will be to conduct a spacewalk in SpaceX’s new EVA spacesuits, test the Dragon’s electronics and shielding as it passes through the high-energy region known as the Van Allen Belt, and test laser-based Starlink communications in space.
Events Leading to NASA’s Decision
The Starliner spacecraft, developed by Boeing also under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, was intended to serve as a crewed spacecraft for missions to and from the ISS.
The spacecraft’s first uncrewed test flight in 2019 encountered software issues that prevented it from reaching the ISS. Subsequent tests and fixes led to another uncrewed test in 2022, which was successful, setting the stage for the crewed mission.
The crewed mission launched on June 5, 2024, with astronauts Wilmore and Williams and was officially known as the Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boe-CFT). Its primary goal was to conduct an end-to-end test flight, including launch, docking with the ISS, performing various in-orbit activities, and returning safely to Earth. This Boe-CFT mission was crucial for NASA’s certification of the Starliner for routine crewed missions to and from the ISS.
The mission was originally planned for approximately eight to 10 days, however, shortly after the Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6, the spacecraft experienced helium leaks in its propulsion system and issues with its maneuvering thrusters. The astronauts are still aboard the ISS, with NASA announcing on August 24, utilizing a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission for them to return to earth safely in February of 2025.
NASA is also delaying a SpaceX Crew-9 mission, originally planned for August, to late September to mitigate congestion at the ISS docking ports.
The Starliner at the ISS is expected to depart in early September and return to earth, uncrewed, in a controlled autonomous re-entry and landing.
Author: Mario Lotmore
