Starliner Return Too Risky For Stuck Astronauts

As was widely anticipated, NASA has decided it's too risky to send test pilot astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that took them to the International Space Station in June. Instead, what started as an eight-day shakedown mission for the two veteran astronauts has turned into an eight-month odyssey that will see them replace two of the four astronauts that were to travel to the ISS on a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle in September for a planned six-month stay. They will finally go home in February at the end of the long-planned mission. “This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” said Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the decision was made out of a "commitment to safety."

The announcement was made at a news conference on Saturday. Boeing did not attend the news conference but issued the following 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.”

The Starliner experienced failures of five of its maneuvering thrusters and numerous helium leaks, and Boeing and NASA have spent much of the last three months assessing the issues. Boeing will try to recover its multibillion-dollar spacecraft with an autonomous undocking and reentry for a parachute landing at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in early September to make room for the SpaceX capsule.