(Washington) NASA announced on Wednesday that it is studying the possibility of returning the first two astronauts to Earth with SpaceX, who were transported to the International Space Station on Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft, due to problems encountered by that vehicle.
Such a scenario would be a humiliation for Boeing, which NASA commissioned to develop the new capsule in 2014 — the same year it commissioned rival SpaceX. Elon Musk’s company has already been flying missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for four years.
Starliner launched in early June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, on a final test mission to certify the spacecraft before it begins regular operations. It was initially scheduled to spend just over a week docked with the International Space Station before returning with its crew.
But Starliner has had problems with its propulsion system in flight, as well as a helium leak. Tests have been conducted to understand the causes, the results of which have so far failed to reassure NASA.
NASA Administrator Steve Stich said Wednesday that the US space agency is now considering allowing the Starliner to return empty to Earth and bring the astronauts back to SpaceX.
SpaceX's next crewed mission, called Crew-9, is a regular rotation of the ISS crew, which was scheduled to include four astronauts.
The launch could eventually be done with just two astronauts, so that it can return two Boeing astronauts upon its return. The latter will remain on the ISS until February, the planned return date for Crew 9.
“We did not agree to this plan,” Steve Stich warned at a news conference. “But we have done all the work necessary to put this plan into effect.”
He reiterated that “our preferred option is to bring Butch and Sonny on board Starliner,” explaining that the new tests should allow engineering teams to better understand the risks posed by the problems encountered on board.
NASA should decide between the two options by “mid-August,” he said.
Crew-9's launch date has been pushed back from August to late September to give NASA more time to make its decision.
