Due to continuous problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, NASA on Tuesday delayed the departure of astronauts scheduled to visit the International Space Station on a SpaceX flight.
Due to faults found in its propulsion system during flight, the Starliner, which launched two NASA astronauts onto the International Space Station (ISS) in early June, has been docked for the past two months, making the mission’s return date more and more questionable.
The next group of four ISS crew members, designated Crew-9, were scheduled to be deployed by SpaceX in mid-August to replace the existing crew of eight, referred to as “Crew-8,” on board the space station.
Given the stranding of the two additional astronauts, however, NASA has had to devise a plan to find another way to bring them back to Earth.
The Crew-9 flight, now scheduled to liftoff by September 24 at the earliest, could bring back the two stranded astronauts and only two Crew-8 members, giving Boeing more time to fix issues with its spacecraft.
“This adjustment allows more time…to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” the US space agency said in a blog post.
The Starliner, which also had helium leaks detected during its voyage, could also return unmanned if safety issues are not resolved.
“NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” the post continued.
On Wednesday, NASA intended to hold a press conference to give updates on Crew-9 and the Starliner spacecraft.
