Spacecraft Will Return to Earth Uncrewed

NASA hosted a live leadership conference on August 24, featuring Administrator Bill Nelson. In this, they announced that the Boeing Starliner will make its flight home without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

As a reminder, Wilmore and Williams flew to the International Space Station in June for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay. Instead, due to several leaks and thruster issues, they have yet to return. While they wait on a solution, they have put themselves to work conducting research, maintenance, and data analysis among the existing ISS crew.

NASA has decided to keep the pair on the space station through February of 2025. Then, they will join two other astronauts on the Dragon spacecraft assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

Teams are currently working to reconfigure the Dragon to suit Wilmore and Williams’ needs. SpaceX and NASA will need to redesign seats and cargo to make room for the duo’s personal belongings. And, since their spacesuits are incompatible with the SpaceX port design, two fresh ones will be provided for them to borrow. The Crew-9 will depart from Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

As for the Starliner, its uncrewed return is scheduled for early September. The spacecraft was designed for autonomous flight and has completed two successful unmanned missions in the past.

“The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA had originally remarked that the Starliner could still be capable of delivering the astronauts home in one piece. However, uncertainty in spaceflight seems like an obvious recipe for disaster. This prompted them to change course and accept the small hit to their ego instead.  In the meantime, Wilmore and Williams will continue formally working as members of the Expedition 71/72 crew.

“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.“A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star.”

FMI: www.nasa.gov