SPACE reports that NASA decided Saturday (Aug. 24) to return its two Boeing Starliner astronauts to Earth in February 2025. Their Starliner capsule will come back empty over thruster concerns. “NASA and Boeing jointly decided that Williams and Wilmore will not head back to Earth aboard the same Starliner capsule that brought them to the ISS. Rather, they will climb aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their descent to our planet, a vessel dedicated to the Crew-9 mission set to launch in September that will be modified to accommodate the Starliner astronauts.”
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Tag: Starliner
Decision on Boeing Starliner Crew’s Path Home Expected Saturday Per NASA
Reuters reports, “NASA said on Thursday it expects to announce on Saturday its decision on whether the two astronauts who rode Boeing’s glitchy Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station will need a SpaceX vehicle to return to Earth.”
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Russian Progress 89 Cargo Ship Delivers Supplies to Stranded Astronauts
BBC News reports, “An uncrewed Russian cargo ship successfully docked at the International Space Station early Saturday (Aug. 17) to deliver tons of fresh gear, food and other vital supplies. The cargo ship will “remain docked for approximately six months before departing for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash.”
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Starliner Crew May Return Home with SpaceX in 2025
The New York Times reports that for weeks, NASA has downplayed problems experienced by Starliner, but on Wednesday, NASA officials admitted that the issues might be more serious than first thought and that the astronauts might not return on the Boeing vehicle. “The agency is exploring a backup option for the astronauts, Suni Wiliams and Butch Wilmore, to instead hitch a ride back to Earth on a spacecraft built by Boeing’s competitor SpaceX. The astronauts’ stay in orbit, which was to be as short as eight days, could be extended into next year.”
Full Story (New York Times)
NASA Chief to Make Final Call On When Starliner Crew Returns Home
Ars Technica reports, “NASA on Tuesday confirmed that it is delaying the launch of its next astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Crew 9, until at least September 24. This is a significant slip from the previous date of August 18. The space agency said the delay was necessary for ‘operational flexibility’ as it continues to deliberate on the viability of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. In the release, NASA stated, ‘This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory.’”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Boeing Closer to Understanding Thruster Failures After Latest Testing
AP News reports, “Boeing is closer to understanding what went wrong with its astronaut capsule in orbit, now that testing is complete on a spare thruster here on Earth. … Officials said Thursday there’s still no return date for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Engineers will first disassemble the thruster that was test-fired in New Mexico over the past couple of weeks. Then they’ll analyze the data before clearing Starliner for the trip home.”
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NASA Astronauts Are Sure That Boeing’s Starliner Will Get Them Home
The Washington Post reports, “The two NASA astronauts who flew in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station last month said Wednesday that they have no concerns the capsule will be able to fly them home safely, even as their return has been postponed indefinitely while NASA and Boeing struggle to determine what caused a series of thruster failures and helium leaks.”
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NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft Set to Retire at End of Month
Flying Magazine reports that NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or NEOWISE, “has taken millions of infrared measurements and studied tens of thousands of asteroids, comets, stars, galaxies, and other objects.” In late 2024 or early 2025, the spacecraft “is expected to come home in pieces following the conclusion of its second mission later this month.”
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NASA Says Boeing’s Starliner Capable of Staying in Space Beyond 45-Day Limit
SPACE reports, “Boeing’s Starliner capsule is performing well enough on its first-ever astronaut mission that it will likely be able to stay in orbit beyond the initially envisioned 45-day limit, NASA says. Starliner, which launched on June 5, is docked at the International Space Station(ISS) on an indefinite mission extension.”
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NASA Orders More Starliner Tests as Crew Remains in Space
Ars Technica reports, “NASA and Boeing officials pushed back Friday on headlines that the commercial Starliner crew capsule is stranded at the International Space Station but said they need more time to analyze data before formally clearing the spacecraft for undocking and reentry. Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams will spend at least a few more weeks on the space station as engineers on the ground conduct thruster tests to better understand issues with the Starliner propulsion system in orbit.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)