NASA announced on Wednesday that if Boeing’s Starliner is still considered unsafe for re-entry, the two astronauts currently on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station could return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025.
What was initially planned as a 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner might now extend to eight months. NASA announced on Wednesday that if Boeing’s Starliner is still deemed unsafe for re-entry, the astronauts could return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025.
Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore launched aboard the Boeing Starliner in June and have been at the ISS since the 6th of that month. The Starliner has encountered issues with its propulsion system due to a series of helium leaks.
NASA is exploring several return options, including the possibility of using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. If chosen, the Crew Dragon capsule could bring Starliner’s crew, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, back to Earth in February 2025.
The Starliner spacecraft launched in June with two astronauts on a crucial test mission to the ISS, which is required before NASA can certify the spacecraft for regular crewed flights.
However, what was initially expected to be an eight-day mission has been extended due to various issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, which Boeing and NASA have been working urgently to resolve.
The US space agency stated that Ms. Williams, a veteran astronaut on her third space mission, investigated the use of fluid physics, such as surface tension, to address the challenges of gravity-free plant watering and nourishment in space.
This research is akin to space gardening and is a crucial step toward understanding how plants grow and adapt to microgravity conditions. Such knowledge will be essential as humanity aims to establish bases throughout the solar system and beyond.
