NASA turns to SpaceX after Boeing Starliner technical failures

NASA specialists considered whether to deem Starliner safe enough for the return journey with the crew or perhaps entrust this task to SpaceX's Crew Dragon. After formally assessing the situation, a decision on this matter was made on Saturday.

Boeing was not represented during Saturday's press conference. NASA indicated "just a little disagreement (between NASA and Boeing) in terms of the level of risk." This led the federal agency to consider transporting the astronauts home on the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle, which has completed a dozen manned space missions since 2020.

SpaceX, an American company founded by Elon Musk in 2002, handles the production of this spacecraft.

On Saturday, NASA chief Bill Nelson explained that the agency considered its extensive experience in space flights—both successful and unsuccessful—when making the decision.

"We have had mistakes done in the past: We lost two space shuttles (...) Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and even at its most routine. And a test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine," he stressed.

CNN reports that Starliner is set to return to Earth empty. If its unmanned return flight succeeds, NASA must decide whether to grant Starliner an official manned flight certification. This would allow the vehicle to make routine trips to orbit despite not completing its mission as planned.

SpaceX had a scheduled routine mission to the ISS, transporting four astronauts as part of regular crew rotations on the orbiting lab. The new Crew-9 mission will be adapted to transport two astronauts instead of four.

This will enable the return flight of the astronauts stranded on the ISS. As a result of these changes, they will become part of the official ISS expedition and remain there for an additional six months, as that is how long a routine expedition on the space station lasts.

The transportation of the astronauts will be possible no earlier than February 2025.

In June 2024, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on the Boeing Starliner. They were meant to stay for 8 days.

However, technical problems arose, including a helium leak. Some engines also suddenly stopped working, preventing their planned return.

CNN recalls that on August 2, Boeing still assured that its spacecraft would very likely be able to transport the astronauts back to Earth. Meanwhile, the astronauts have been on the ISS for 80 days.