NASA delays astronauts' return, choosing SpaceX over Boeing's troubled Starliner

NASA has judged, unexpectedly and cautiously, that deploying Boeing's new Starliner capsule would be too perilous for two people to return to Earth. The verdict, issued on Saturday, implies that astronauts who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since early June will have to wait until next year to return to Earth. Instead of the planned week-long mission, their test flight will now last more than eight months.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both experienced pilots, have faced a unique and difficult situation. Designed to test Boeing's Starliner capsule, the mission has been plagued by technical issues including as frequent helium leaks and severe rocket breakdowns. These issues forced the spaceship into a protracted holding pattern as Earthly engineers debated the best course of action for the astronauts' return and conducted extensive experiments.

Following nearly three months of uncertainty and debate, NASA's top leaders finally made a decision. The astronauts plan to land in the New Mexico desert and return to Earth in a SpaceX capsule in February; their Starliner capsule will attempt to return autonomously in early September. This decision demonstrates NASA's commitment to astronaut safety, even if it requires postponing a critical test voyage.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the natural hazards of test flights, saying, "A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine." Drawing on knowledge gained from NASA's past, particularly the catastrophic space shuttle mishaps, he stated that the decision to use SpaceX was based on a commitment to safety. Unlike previous incidents in which communication was discouraged, Nelson saw that this time open communication was encouraged, resulting in what he believes to be the correct decision.

NASA’s assistant administrator, Jim Free, agreed with Nelson’s feelings about the tough decision but also confirmed it as the correct one. Free said, stressing the weight of responsibility NASA feels in guaranteeing the astronauts’ safe return: “This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one.”