NASA declared yesterday that the Boeing Starliner vehicle will return to Earth without a crew. SpaceX, on the other hand, announced earlier today that astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore. Who have been stuck in space for over two months, will return home through their spacecraft in February 2025.
SpaceX is slated to bring NASA astronauts home from space sometime next year. While its competitor Boeing’s capsule (that has just transported them to the ISS) will return empty.
Extended Mission Due to Technical Issues Boeing
The commencement of the mission occurred eight days before today. When the two were lifted into orbit by Williams and Wilmore. Instead of the eight days initially scheduled for this mission to last. It has turned out that they would have to spend around eight months in space due to technical malfunctions experienced with the Starline spacecraft. Several issues ranged from gas leaks of helium that affected propulsion systems and malfunctioning thrusters, which had postponed their return.
Boeing and SpaceX Contracts with NASA Boeing
For instance, NASA contracted Boeing at a cost of $4.2 billion, whereas Elon Musk’s SpaceX landed a deal worth only $2.6 billion. SpaceX has done nine successful crewed missions on behalf of NASA, as well as many commercialized flights.
Very Active Investigations and Safety Measures
Since the Starliner’s technical issues arose, Boeing and NASA engineers have strived to overcome them. The engineers on both teams are working tirelessly to identifyt the root causes of these problemd and subsequently ensure the astronauts’ safety upon their return.
During a press conference on Saturday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the necessary improvements in the spacecraft made by Boeing in cooperation with NASA. “Space is a hazardous endeavour even at its safest or most banal stage and a test flight is not safe or ordinary,” said Nelson, adding “Our cardinal value is safety, it’s our north star.”
New Return Plan with SpaceX
Therefore, because of unresolved concerns surrounding Starliner’s operation, Williams and Wilmore will remain at the ISS until February 2025. Instead of using this spaceship for return purposes, they will be brought back aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon vessel. This extension allows SpaceX to prepare for its next vehicle, which is scheduled for September ending.
In the beginning, SpaceX’s next mission to the ISS would have had four astronauts. But right now, only two are going with it, making room for William and Wilmore so that they can return in February at the end of this mission.
