Current:Home > NewsNASA Boeing Starliner crew to remain stuck in space until 2025, will return home on SpaceX -TradeWise
NASA Boeing Starliner crew to remain stuck in space until 2025, will return home on SpaceX
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:17:42
NASA leaders announced Saturday that the two Boeing Starliner astronauts, Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, are officially looking at a lengthy eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station.
Wilmore and Williams will have to wait it out until February after a flight readiness review determined that it's too risky for them to return to Earth on the Boeing spacecraft, NASA leaders announced Saturday.
The decision means the Starliner will return emptyhanded to Earth to free up a docking port for SpaceX Crew-9, which is scheduled to reach the space station on Sept. 24 for a six-month rotation mission. The Dragon capsule that Crew-9 will take to orbit is also now Williams and Wilmore's ride home.
"The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is result of a commitment to safety," NASA's Administrator Bill Nelson said during the news conference. "Our core value is safety, and it is our North Star. And I'm grateful to NASA and to Boeing, for their teams, for all the incredible and detailed work to get to this decision."
During the news conference, NASA's administrators said that safety is their main priority, but the government agency plans to use this experience as an opportunity to learn.
"I'll tell you that the NASA and Boeing team have made incredible technical progress in the model development that has gone on, the thruster testing, understanding material properties within the valve and the complicated fluid physics that are happening inside," NASA's Associate Administrator Jim Free said. "We are a learning organization, and I think we've demonstrated that here. We'll learn from this effort so that our crews who are at the top of the pyramid on these missions and their families can continue to know we've done that, and we'll always do our best."
The decision brings to an end the mystery surrounding the fate of Williams and Wilmore, the veteran NASA astronauts who arrived June 6 at the orbital outpost for what was supposed to only be a stay of little more than a week.
'Stuck' in space?Starliner astronauts aren't 1st to have extended stay; Frank Rubio's delayed return set record
What happened with the Boeing Starliner?
Some of the troubles began even before Starliner finally managed to launch on June 5 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its inaugural crewed test flight.
Wilmore and Williams were only meant to be aboard the International Space Station for a little more than a week before heading back to Earth. But when they made it to the orbital outpost a day after the launch, engineers discovered a slew of helium leaks and problems with the craft's propulsion system that hampered Starliner's return to Earth.
Amid the scramble to figure out what to do about Starliner, NASA previously made the call to postpone the launch of SpaceX Crew-9.
That mission had been slated to take off earlier in August in a routine flight to replace the Crew-8 mission that's been at the space station since March. But because the four Crew-9 members can't arrive on a SpaceX Dragon until the docking port occupied by Starliner becomes available, that mission now won't launch any sooner than Sept. 24, NASA has said.
The delay gave the engineering and spaceflight specialists from NASA and Boeing time to collect and analyze Starliner data in preparation for the flight readiness review.
But it also means Starliner will still have to undock before the Dragon capsule arrives to make an autonomous return to Earth without its crew. Because Wilmore and Williams now find themselves in need of a ride back to the ground, Crew-9 will include just two members instead of four, NASA said.
The Starliner crew will then return on Feb. 25 with Crew-9 on the Dragon after the SpaceX astronauts complete their six-month rotation at the station.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest
veryGood! (497)
Related
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- How to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics: Stream the Games with these tips
- Jennifer Aniston’s Go-to Vital Proteins Collagen Powder Is on Sale for Only $17 During Prime Day
- Builders Legacy Advance Investment Education Foundation: The value of IRA accounts 4
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- National I Love Horses Day celebrates the role of horses in American life
- The Daily Money: Meta lifts Trump restrictions
- Bears finally come to terms with first-round picks, QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Innovatech Investment Education Foundation: Empowering Investors through Advanced Education and Technology
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Tribes and Environmentalists Press Arizona and Federal Officials to Stop Uranium Mining Near the Grand Canyon
- Oversight Committee chair to subpoena Secret Service director for testimony on Trump assassination attempt
- Jack Black ends Tenacious D tour after bandmate’s Trump shooting comment
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Unveiling the Zenith Asset Investment Education Foundation: Empowering Investors for Financial Mastery
- Innovatech Investment Education Foundation: The value of IRA retirement savings
- Where does JD Vance stand on key economic issues?
Recommendation
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
Secure Your Future: Why Invest in an IRA with Summit Wealth Investment Education Foundation
When job hunting, how do I identify good company culture? Ask HR
Nearly 7,000 pounds of hot dogs shipped to restaurants, hotels in 2 states recalled
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
When job hunting, how do I identify good company culture? Ask HR
Understanding IRAs: Types and Rules Explained by Builders Legacy Advance Investment Education Foundation
Have a Shop Girl Summer With Megan Thee Stallion’s Prime Day Deals as Low as $5.50