Starliner Astronauts to Return Aboard Crew-9

In a press conference starting at 1:13 PM EST, a panel of NASA program managers officially declared that Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be returning aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon at the conclusion of the Crew-9 mission in February of 2025. The panel consisted of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Associate Administrator Jim Free, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox, Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stitch, International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel, and Flight Operations Director Norman Knight. Notably no representatives from Boeing attended the conference, Bowersox later clarified the reason was because the final decision was NASA’s own call.

The decision was made as a result of remaining uncertainties in the performance of Starliner’s reaction control thrusters, which are required for various critical phases of flight. The uncertainties remained following an extensive testing campaign which occurred at White Sands Test Facility to diagnose the performance of Starliner’s thrusters and determine the root cause of misbehaviors observed during Starliner CFT’s docking to the ISS.

Starliner Calypso is now planned to return without astronauts on-board sometime in early September. There is some amount of reconfiguration required prior to Starliner’s uncrewed departure, and a “Part 2” to the Return Readiness Review is expected sometime late next week to prepare involved teams to begin that process. Starliner will be executing a “simplified” separation sequence from ISS in order to depart the station faster and without placing unneeded stress on the spacecraft’s thrusters.

Crew-8’s spacecraft, Crew Dragon Endeavour, will have its cargo pallet reconfigured to allow for an emergency return of all six astronauts. Starliner and Crew Dragon flight suits are not interchangeable, while one extra SpaceX flight suit is on station and has been fit checked with the Starliner astronauts, in an emergency scenario one astronaut would have to return unsuited, and both without proper seating. This contingency option will only be in place until the Crew-9 spacecraft arrives sometime in September, which will be able to seat both astronauts and will deliver the final needed spacesuit.

Crew-9’s spacecraft, Crew Dragon Freedom, will be flying in a two-astronaut configuration. Which of the previously planned four crew members will be flying to the station has not been formally announced. While the specifics of the new seating configuration are unclear, a ballast is required to balance out the seats for Wilmore and Williams. Crew-9 is expected to return in February of 2025, meaning the Starliner astronauts will have spent 8 months on-station since Starliner CFT’s launch in June. ISS Program Manager Dana Weigel clarified that while the 8 month stay is longer than initially planned and longer than usual 6 month rotations, such a duration is within the understanding of the program, with some astronauts previously staying in space for around a full year.

Panel members each expressed the difficulty with which the decision was made, and how certain factors like an unsuited return scenario on Crew-8’s Dragon contributed to that difficulty. Bill Nelson opened the conference by invoking the memories of the Challenger and Columbia disasters, events that have had immense influence on NASA ever since, resulting in a high safety umbrella for operations today. Senator Nelson explained how the safety environment at NASA has evolved overtime, with increased emphasis on allowing all voices to be heard in regards to potentially risky decisions. Nelson remarked that “(NASA’s) core value is safety, and it is our North Star.”

Those who attended the conference also emphasised the value of Boeing’s cooperation throughout the entire decision making process, with Bowersox describing the data gleaned by the White Sands testing campaign as “a gift.” Bill Nelson repeatedly emphasised the importance of having redundant access to the International Space Station in the event one crew system experiences an anomaly, and NASA’s continued commitment to Starliner’s future success. How the decision affects the certification of Starliner to begin carrying full four-person crews as an operational capacity is unclear for now. When asked about the possibility of a second crewed flight test and Boeing’s willingness to fund such a flight, Nelson’s response was that “It did not come up, nor would it have been appropriate at the time” as the decision was made based on the risk of the situation at hand first and foremost.

The NASA Administrator was also directly asked how certain he was that Starliner would ever launch with astronauts aboard again. Senator Nelson’s response was quick: “100%.” Bill Nelson justified his answer by pointing to the “extensive, cooperative working relationship between NASA and Boeing… and a certainty on my part that we will find out the uncertainty.” Starliner’s next steps as a program are unclear, but NASA has repeatedly emphasised that there is an intent to find and execute them. For now, all focus is on getting the vehicle back on the ground, and making moves to ensure Butch and Suni have a verifiably safe ride home.

Edited by Nik Alexander