NASA Says It Hasn’t Decided How to Bring 2 Stuck Astronauts Back to Earth: ‘We’ve Got Time'
Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams have been in space since June, when the Boeing Starliner they traveled in began experiencing problems
MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (R) and Suni Williams, wearing Boeing spacesuits, depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center for Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test launch , on June 5, 2024.NASA says no decision has been made about how to bring back two astronauts who are stuck in space after multiple problems arose with the Boeing Starcraft that took them there.
Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams have been in space since June 5, when they set off for what was supposed to be an eight-day trip until the Starcraft malfunctioned during their astronaut mission, known as the Crew Flight Test.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 14, NASA announced it would make a decision regarding a plan to bring the astronauts home by the end of the month, according to NBC News and the BBC.
NASA is considering using a SpaceX Dragon capsule to bring the astronauts home should the Starcraft not be equipped to do so, NBC News and USA Today reported.
But that move may require Wilmore and Williams to remain at the International Space Station for up to six months.
"We've got time available before we bring Starliner home, and we want to use that time wisely,” said Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, per USA Today.
The Starliner ran into trouble when five of its thrusters malfunctioned shortly before the end of the June 5 flight while helium simultaneously leaked from its propulsion system, according to NBC News.
Experts were reportedly aware of the helium issue before launch but thought it would be unlikely to impact the mission.
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Wilmore and Williams may have an opportunity to leave the ISS before February 2025, NBC News reported. A SpaceX Dragon capsule is expected to launch in September and may have two open seats available for the stranded astronauts.
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However, Wilmore and Williams’ space suits are not interchangeable with SpaceX suits, which they would not have access to in time for the September flight, according to the BBC.
In the meantime, Bowersox said Wilmore and Williams “are well-engaged” on the ISS. "I know that they're making the best of this time, but I'm sure they're eager for a decision just like the rest of us,” he added, per USA Today.
Williams previously stated that she and Wilmore are having a "great time" in space. “I'm not complaining, Butch isn't complaining, that we're here for a couple extra weeks," she added.
Wilmore added, "That mantra you’ve heard, failure is not an option. And that’s why we’re staying here now."
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