HOUSTON — Big developments today for two NASA astronauts still stuck on the International Space Station because of issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to return in mid-June after a week in space.
In an update on Wednesday, NASA admitted that they may have to rely on a different spacecraft to bring them home. If that happens, the astronauts would be stuck until February 2025.
"We have this contingency plan we've been working on in the background for a while," said Steve Sinch, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
That backup plan could have the astronauts returning on board SpaceX's Dragon Crew-9 instead of Starliner.
"If they do switch to the SpaceX capsule, that's a huge deal. That's a really significant deal," Colonel Terry Virts, a former Commander of the ISS, told us. "Their top goal is to bring them back down on the Boeing capsule they went up on, but NASA won't do it unless it's safe."
Virts knows what it's like to be stuck on the ISS. He was on board for an extra month during his last space mission.
"I'm sure they're enjoying their time in space. You never know when your next space mission is," Virts said. "Really, it's a bummer for the families. They're the ones I always think of. They had plans for the summer and for the new school year. Now those plans have to change."
The problems with Starliner began as it closed in on the space station a day after its June 5 launch and last-minute thruster failures almost derailed the docking. Five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters went down during docking; all but one thruster was restarted.
Starliner already had one small helium leak when it rocketed into orbit and several more leaks sprung up during the flight. Helium is used to pressurize fuel for the thrusters. Boeing said this week that the two problems aren’t a concern for the return trip.
In delaying the astronauts' return, NASA and Boeing said they needed more time to collect information about the thruster trouble and leaks while the capsule was docked. Both are in the service module, a unit attached to the capsule that burns up during reentry.
If NASA decides it's unsafe to bring the astronauts home onboard Starliner, the spacecraft would eventually return on its own without a crew.
"As an American, I hope Boeing succeeds. It's important for NASA and the country that this is a successful mission for Boeing," Virts said.
Boeing officials were not on Wednesday's conference call. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that there are tensions between NASA and Boeing.