Starliner Return Uncertain, Crew May Use Crew Dragon

NASA said that astronauts delivered to the International Space Station by Boeing's Starliner could return on SpaceX's Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner is still deemed unsafe to return to Earth.

Starliner spacecraft launched in June carrying two astronauts to the ISS in a high-stakes test mission required before NASA can certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut flights.

But the mission, initially expected to last about eight days, has been drawn out far longer by an array of problems with the craft's propulsion system that Boeing and NASA have been scrambling to fix.

Those problems have called into question Starliner's ability to safely return to Earth its crew, veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. NASA has been examining whether a Crew Dragon capsule will have to bring them home instead. Such an outcome would be a setback for Boeing, which hopes to compete with SpaceX to ferry supplies and crew members to and from the space station.

A Boeing spokesperson said that if NASA decides to change Starliner's mission, the company "will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return."

Thruster failures during Starliner's initial approach to the International Space Station (ISS) in June and several leaks of helium have set Boeing off on a testing campaign to understand the cause and proposed fixes to NASA, which has the final say. Recent results have unearthed new information, causing greater alarm about a safe return.

The latest test data has stirred disagreements and debate within NASA about whether to accept the risk of a Starliner return to Earth, or make the call to use Crew Dragon instead.

Using a SpaceX craft to return astronauts that Boeing had planned to bring back on Starliner would be a major blow to an aerospace giant that has struggled for years to compete with SpaceX and its more experienced Crew Dragon.