NASA decides to keep 2 astronauts in space until February, nixes return on troubled Boeing capsule
NASA has decided it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA decided Saturday it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they'll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a weeklong test flight for the pair will now last more than eight months.
The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster failures and helium leaks in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers conducted tests and debated what to do about the flight back.
After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back in a SpaceX capsule in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.
As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.
“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision «is a result of a commitment to safety.”
Nelson said lessons learned from NASA's two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.
“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator.
It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft
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