NASA Delays Astronauts' Return Due to Starliner Safety Risks

NASA announced that the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams has been postponed due to safety risks with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The duo will now continue their mission until February 2025 and return on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The Starliner capsule will return uncrewed in early September.

NASA has decided it's too risky to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams back to Earth at present, leading to the return of Boeing's Starliner capsule without them. Wilmore and Williams will extend their mission and return in February 2025, converting what was a planned week-long test flight into an eight-month mission.

"Wilmore and Williams will remain as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew until February 2025. They are set to fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with other crew members assigned to SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. The Starliner will depart the space station for an autonomous re-entry and landing in early September," NASA stated. This uncrewed return aims to gather more testing data without exposing its astronauts to unnecessary risks.

Having traveled to the International Space Station in June via NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test, Wilmore and Williams have been engaged in research, maintenance, and system testing. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the inherent risks of spaceflight, adding, "A test flight is neither safe nor routine. Our decision is grounded in our commitment to safety—our core value." NASA and Boeing faced issues like helium leaks and reaction control thruster failures, which resulted in the extended mission and transition of astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.

Engineering teams responded with extensive data reviews, tests, and contingency planning. However, the unresolved uncertainties did not meet NASA's safety standards for human spaceflight, necessitating the revised plan. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)