In weighing whether to allow them to try to return to Earth aboard their malfunctioning Starliner craft or wait until the completion of the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon mission in February, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the agency opted for the latter due to safety reasons.
"Butch and Suni will return with Crew-9 next February," he announced during a televised news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, adding that the glitchy Starliner capsule, which currently remains docked to the ISS, will be returned to Earth unmanned.
Neelson said he ultimately expects Boeing to be certified for transporting humans to ISS, which is scheduled to be deorbited in 2031 when it will be 32 years old.
The next Crew 9 mission, scheduled to launch in late September in Florida, will proceed with only two crew members rather than four, making room for Wilmore and Williams to return with it.
The capsules can seat up to seven.
NASA and SpaceX decided to use new facilities at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station instead of Pad 39 at Kennedy Space Center.
Cargo will include Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams.
SpaceX has sent 13 crewed flights to ISS since 2020 with nine for NASA and four commercial. The most recent one was March 4 with a crew of four, who are scheduled to return in late September.
The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is capable of flying only three.
Nelson said he discussed the situation with new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and praised the company for working closely with NASA in determining whether the Starliner capsule could be safely returned with the stranded astronauts aboard. But in the end, he said, concerns over the safety of the astronauts proved insurmountable.
"This whole discussion, remember, is put in the context of we have had mistakes done in the past," Nelson said. "We lost two space shuttles as a result of there not being a culture in which information could come forward.
"We have been very solicitous of all of our employees that if you have some objection, you come forward. Space flight is risky, even at its safest," he added.
Boeing Space officials were not at the news conference but issued the following statement: "We continue to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft developed helium leaks and propulsion problems as Wilmore and Williams docked at the ISS on June 6. They had been scheduled to return to Earth a week later after testing Starliner for NASA certification.
Five of the capsule's thrusters also malfunctioned as it was approaching the space station. The thruster malfunction, which is a separate issue from the helium leaks in Starliner's propulsion system, delayed the capsule's docking.
Wilmore and Williams are now slated to spend at least 262 days in orbit before returning to Earth around Feb. 22.
NASA said Starliner's undocking from the ISS and unpiloted return to Earth will be carried out remotely as early as Sept. 6. The long-awaited and ultimately disappointing test flight is scheduled to conclude with touchdown at White Sands, New Mexico.
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