NASA is considering all options for bringing back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from space, potentially involving a 2025 return on Boeing’s rival SpaceX’s Crew 9 mission. The US space agency has prioritized returning the astronauts on the Starliner spacecraft but is developing alternative plans. Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew Program, stated that NASA is collaborating with SpaceX to ensure their readiness to accommodate Butch and Sunita on Crew 9, if necessary.
The delay of SpaceX’s Crew 9 mission, originally scheduled for mid-August, has pushed its launch to September 25th. The crew will embark on a short-duration handover mission at the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8. The NASA official explained that Crew 9’s flexibility could allow it to carry only two passengers on its ascent, enabling the return of four crew members, including Butch and Sunita, in February 2025. While this plan is still under consideration, it presents a potential pathway for bringing the astronauts back to Earth.
Addressing issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, NASA officials highlighted the need for software configuration. To ensure the astronauts’ safe return, NASA has a task order allowing up to three crew members to travel on the cargo pallet in the Crew 8 Dragon if Starliner needs to undock in an uncrewed configuration. The official confirmed that Starliner is capable of uncrewed undocking, but requires software parameter adjustments.
