NASA announced on Saturday that Boeing’s Starliner capsule will return empty from the International Space Station (ISS) due to some problems with the propulsion system. This latest development adds to Boeing’s troubles, as the estimated losses in the Starliner program are more than $1 billion, reports CNBC.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will now return on Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew-9 vehicle in February 2025, after an extended six-month stay on the ISS. The original nine-day test flight was delayed due to problems with the Starliner’s thrusters.
The decision was made due to “technical disagreements” between NASA and Boeing, with NASA prioritizing safety and choosing SpaceX for the return mission.
“Boeing has worked very hard with NASA to obtain the data needed to make this decision,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Saturday. “We want to further understand the root causes and understand design improvements so that Boeing Starliner can become a vital part of our assured crew access to the ISS.” Mr. Nelson stressed that test flights like the Starliner mission are “neither safe, nor routine.”
Following this decision, NASA will conduct an additional phase of its flight readiness review to determine the optimal time to return the empty Starliner capsule to Earth.
Despite Boeing’s assurances that the Starliner was safe for an emergency crew return, NASA disagreed. Mr. Nelson expressed support for Boeing, saying he was “100% sure” the Starliner would launch with a crew again in the future. Boeing also reaffirmed its commitment to safety, saying it would carry out the mission set by NASA and prepare for a safe return without a crew.
In a statement on the X, Boeing said, “We will continue to focus first and foremost on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. We are executing the mission as assigned by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful unmanned return.”
NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox said NASA officials were unanimous in their decision to choose SpaceX to bring the crew back. Meanwhile, SpaceX will carry two astronauts on its Crew-9 vehicle — instead of the four originally planned — to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule, ‘Calypso’, has been docked at the International Space Station since June, but its mission has been extended indefinitely due to repeated thruster failures. The Starliner Crew Flight Test, which was supposed to be the final milestone for Boeing, has instead become a major setback.