Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore were only supposed to stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for one week. But now it’s been almost three months since the astronauts have been in space, after their spacecraft malfunctioned. It is still unknown when exactly they will be able to return to Earth. NASA is being asked to make one of the most difficult decisions in its history – and the deadline is at the end of the month.

Before the start of this test flight in early June, everything seemed to be running normally. During the flight of the Starliner spacecraft the two astronauts arrived safely at the station, however some problems arose. There were helium leaks and damage to some thrusters, resulting in the cancellation of the return of the two astronauts. Williams and Wilmore have been waiting on the space station ever since.

NASA’s difficult dilemma

NASA is being asked to make a very serious decision. The question is: will the two astronauts be able to return the Starliner to Earth? Teams from NASA and manufacturer Boeing have been conducting various tests for weeks, both in space and on Earth, with NASA’s Ken Bowersox saying there is “great work” going on – but also some “painful conversations”.

The two most likely scenarios are: a dangerous return of the astronauts on the Starliner or transfer to the Crew Dragon spacecraft. In the first case the problems that have arisen with the Starliner will have to be solved first – which apparently has not been done so far.

In the other alternative, the Starliner could return to Earth without the two astronauts, an undertaking that would require extensive changes and reconfiguration of the spacecraft’s software. Crew Dragon could then launch with two instead of four astronauts, take Williams and Wilmore, and eventually return the crew to Earth in early 2025. In that case the two astronauts would also need new suits, since the ones they have are not suitable to fly with the Crew Dragon.

“Decision based on data”

“We don’t want to make a decision based on emotion,” says Bowersox, “but purely on data.” The final decision rests with NASA chief Billy Nelson. In his post on X, Nelson emphasizes that the highest priority is the safety of the astronauts.

Williams, 58, and Wilmore, 61, will have to wait a little longer on the ISS anyway. Even if they do fly the Starliner, it won’t be until September at the earliest – with the Crew Dragon probably in February. Fortunately the two astronauts are experienced and have been in space before.

An important help for the ISS

“On test flights like this you always know there’s a chance they’ll last longer,” says Joel Montalbano of NASA. “But the two astronauts are fine, they have integrated with the rest of the astronauts on the station.” Of course, “all of this is of course difficult for the crew members and their families, we know that. But they are professional astronauts and they are doing a great job.”

Williams and Wilmore provide significant assistance to the ISS, as NASA has consistently pointed out – but they also consume more supplies, such as food and hygiene items.

Starliner

Does the Starliner have a future?

But what will happen to the Starliner? The spacecraft was designed by Boeing on behalf of NASA to carry astronauts to the ISS for several years – as a second alternative to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has been in use for years.

In the past, the Starliner had other problems. In 2019 the first unmanned test flight did not even reach the ISS, and although the second flight in 2022 was successful, the spacecraft again experienced problems that led to a series of postponements of its planned flights.

Bowersox emphasizes, however, that NASA wants to insist on maintaining two transport systems. The problems can be worked out, and when they do, “the future of Starliner will be bright.”

Edited by: Giorgos Passas