NASA has announced that Boeing’s Starliner will return to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams onboard. This decision was made public on August 25, 2024 (AEST), and the uncrewed return will allow NASA and Boeing to gather additional testing data during the upcoming flight while minimizing risks to crew safety.
Wilmore and Williams, who traveled to the International Space Station in June as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been focused on supporting research, maintenance, and testing related to Starliner systems, among other responsibilities.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the inherent risks of spaceflight, stating, “A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni onboard the International Space Station and return Boeing’s Starliner uncrewed reflects our commitment to safety and our core values.” He expressed gratitude to the teams at NASA and Boeing for their thorough work.
The two astronauts will remain on the ISS as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew until February 2025. They are scheduled to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft alongside two other crew members for the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is anticipated to depart from the ISS and conduct a controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September.
NASA and Boeing have addressed helium leaks and difficulties with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters that arose on June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. Since then, engineering teams have made significant progress, including data analysis, flight and ground testing, and independent reviews with propulsion experts, leading to the decision to exclude the astronauts from this return flight.
Ken Bowersox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, noted that decisions regarding safety are challenging. He commended the NASA and Boeing teams for their detailed analysis and discussions that prioritize safety during the Crew Flight Test. He highlighted the knowledge gained from Starliner’s journey to the ISS.
Starliner is designed to operate autonomously and has previously completed two uncrewed flights. In the upcoming weeks, NASA and Boeing will coordinate on adjustments to mission planning and Starliner’s systems for the uncrewed return, ensuring it can land before the Crew-9 mission launch to keep a docking port available on the space station.
Steve Stich, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, stated, “Starliner is a very capable spacecraft, but we require a higher level of certainty for crewed returns.” He emphasized that the ongoing testing is critical to understanding Starliner’s performance, which will inform preparations for the uncrewed return and future corrective measures.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program mandates that spacecraft must undertake a crewed test flight to demonstrate readiness for regular missions to and from the ISS. After Starliner’s return, NASA will analyze all mission-related data to determine any further actions needed to meet certification standards.
The SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which is set to launch no earlier than September 24 with originally four crew members, will provide updates as details are finalized. NASA and SpaceX are also making preparations for the Crew-9 launch, including reconfiguring seats on the Crew-9 Dragon and adjusting the mission manifest for additional cargo and specific items for Wilmore and Williams. The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth rotational mission to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.