Why Starliner Will Return Without Sunita Williams And How Musk Will Help Her

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her NASA colleague Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard crisis-hit Boeing's Starliner in June, will return home with billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX next year. The two veteran astronauts were launched to the ISS on June 5 for what was expected to be an eight-day test mission. Their homecoming, however, was delayed for weeks by thruster malfunctions of the Boeing spacecraft, and NASA announced Saturday they will return to Earth in February next year. Starliner will return to Earth uncrewed.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the decision to keep the two astronauts on the space station and return the Starliner uncrewed "is the result of our commitment to safety," adding, "Our core value is safety." 

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore at the International Space Station
Photo Credit: x.com/BoeingSpace

"Space flight is risky even at its safest and even at its most routine," he told reporters. "A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine." 

Boeing's Starliner Setbacks

After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner finally lifted off on June 5 carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, both former military test pilots, to the space station. But a day later, as Starliner was approaching the ISS, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft's reaction control thrusters.

Hugs all around! The Expedition 71 crew greets Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni aboard @Space_Station after #Starliner docked at 1:34 p.m. ET on June 6. pic.twitter.com/wQZAYy2LGH — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024

Five of Starliner's 28 thrusters failed during flight and it sprang several leaks of helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters. It was still able to dock with the space station, which has housed rotating crews of astronauts for over two decades.

NASA, however, feared the capsule would not be able to achieve the thrust necessary to return to Earth and decided to transfer the two astronauts to a SpaceX mission and return the Starliner empty.

"The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew," the US space agency said.

NASA will return @BoeingSpace's #Starliner to Earth without @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the spacecraft.

The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not… pic.twitter.com/wkXX0qQXkq — NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) August 24, 2024

Starliner will now undock from the ISS without a crew in early September.

How Elon Musk's SpaceX Will Help Sunita Williams, Butch Willmore

In what is seen as a rare reshuffling of NASA's astronaut operations, Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore will now return to Earth on Elon Musk's SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. 

Under the new plan, the SpaceX Crew-9 mission will take off in late September after the Starliner has headed earthward, freeing a docking port on the ISS.

It, however, will carry only two passengers instead of the originally planned four to make room for Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore.

The SpaceX vehicle will then in February bring back the two stranded colleagues with its crew members.

(With agency inputs)