Every 90 minutes, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams complete an orbit of the Earth. They’ve been doing so since early June. Their mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Boeing capsule was supposed to last eight days. More than two months later, NASA is trying to decide how and when to bring them back to Earth.
Officials have repeatedly delayed Wilmore and Williams’ return from the ISS. The spaceship they arrived in has a leak. Two options seem possible. Will NASA send them home soon in a struggling Boeing spacecraft? Or wait until next year and use SpaceX?
This is Boeing’s first time launching astronauts. Until now, the company has flown only empty vehicles. Those had problems too, so maybe the vehicle’s current condition shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Even before Wilmore and Williams blasted off on June 5, their Starliner capsule, Calypso, sprang a small helium leak. Boeing and NASA judged it to be a one-off. They proceeded with the flight. But as the Starliner approached the space station the next day, four more leaks erupted. Five thrusters also failed.
The capsule managed to dock safely, and four of the thrusters started working again. Still, engineers scrambled to test the thrusters.
After two months, no one seems to know the root cause for the breakdowns. All but one of the 28 thrusters seem operational. But some engineers remain concerned for the crew’s safety if too many conk out again.
Last Thursday, former NASA executive Scott Hubbard admitted the astronauts are “kind of stuck” but not stranded. He says they’re safe aboard the space station with plenty of supplies and work to do.
If NASA decides to go with a SpaceX return, Calypso would be cut loose first to open up a docking spot. That option would likely involve bumping two astronauts from the next U.S. flight to the space station to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
There’s another catch to that plan: The pair would have to stay in space until February.
This isn’t the first time a U.S. astronaut has had to stay longer in space. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two Russian crewmates ended up spending over a year on the ISS after space debris damaged their capsule. An empty Russian capsule brought them back in September 2023.
Wilmore and Williams are both retired Navy captains and longtime astronauts. Both already have long space station missions behind them. In July, the two assured reporters they were staying busy and helping with repairs and research. They expressed confidence in the vehicle testing going on behind the scenes.
But the extra time in space has posed a few challenges. For one, officials had removed Wilmore and Williams’ suitcases from Calypso before liftoff. They needed room for important equipment: the space station’s urine-into-drinking-water recycling system. The two astronauts made do, and a supply ship finally arrived this week with their clothes as well as extra food and science experiments for the entire nine-person crew. More supplies should arrive in a few months. As for air, the space station generates its own oxygen.
Boeing and NASA say the damaged capsule could still safely bring the astronauts home in an emergency. But Boeing says it will work to bring the capsule back empty if that’s what NASA decides.
The verdict about when the astronauts return could come next week. Some analysts point out that Wilmore and Williams are professionals. They knew the risks of space flight and are continuing to do their jobs in space.
When you’re 250 miles above Earth, jumping ship isn’t an option.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. — Proverbs 16:9
Update: On August 24, NASA decided it’s too risky to bring the two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s Starliner capsule. They’ll have to wait until February for a ride home with SpaceX.
