Remember back in June when I assured you that, according to NASA, the two astronauts who flew to the ISS in Boeing’s new crewed spacecraft, Starliner, were not actually “stranded?” Well, NASA still insists they’re not stranded, but has made the decision to return astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. This seems to be the best path to guarantee the safety of the astronauts, though many SpaceX/Elon Musk fans will be delighted by this decision for reasons that have very little to do with safety.
NASA is still sticking to their guns and saying that, should an emergency arise, Butch and Suni could ride the Starliner back home, as they state in the mission’s FAQ:
Are Butch and Suni stuck on the space station?
No, Butch and Suni are safe aboard the space station working alongside the Expedition 71 crew. They also have been actively involved in Starliner testing and technical meetings. Butch and Suni could return home aboard Starliner if an emergency arises. The agency also has other return options available, if needed, for both contingency and normal returning planning.
Even so, this is a terrible look for Boeing, who is already not exactly enjoying the best reputation for building safe vehicles at the moment.
The problem with the Starliner spacecraft started on June 6, as the capsule was approaching the space station. Helium leaks were detected in the reaction control system thrusters, which let the spacecraft steer and orient itself in space, and while Boeing claims that 27 of 28 RCS thrusters are fine and operating at full capacity, NASA has still decided to send the two astronauts home on the SpaceX Dragon already scheduled to bring astronauts to the station in February 2025.
Here’s NASA’s reasoning for their decision:
Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans. The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence does not meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.
Oh, what’s a little uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence between friends?
So, as of this moment, the Crew-9 mission that will be launching no earlier than September 24 will be reduced from four astronauts to two, and then return with Butch and Suni, filling out the full complement of four, in February 2025, with the two Starliner astronauts filling in as part of the normal six-month crew rotation.
(Williams and Wilmore in the hatch between the ISS and Starliner. Credit: NASA)
This decision from NASA does seem to center the safety of the astronauts, and that’s good. NASA is also being careful not to describe their return in any “rescue” context, since they insist that Starliner could get them home in an emergency, and they’re not specially launching a Dragon capsule to come get the pair; they’re just re-shuffling crew on an already-planned launch.
Still, this is a hell of a delay and a vastly longer mission than Williams or Wilmore signed up for, and while, as astronauts, I’m sure they’re ready and perhaps even eager for more time in space, it has to be hard for their people stuck here on Earth.
And, oh boy is this embarrassing for Boeing. It doesn’t matter if the capsule could work fine or if 27 of the 28 thrusters are working perfectly, from a PR standpoint this is such a disaster. Boeing’s already beleaguered reputation absolutely did not need something like this, and even though NASA insists the SpaceX capsule isn’t “rescuing” the astronauts, that’s pretty much exactly how it will be treated by the general public and, especially, SpaceX/Tesla/Elon Musk fans, who will likely have a very good time with this when that Dragon returns to Earth.
Interestingly, it’s possible – though I’m not entirely certain – that this is just the second time a crewed spacecraft will go up with astronauts and return empty? I believe the first time was when a Soyuz capsule docked to the station sprung a bad coolant leak back in late 2022; that Soyuz returned to Earth empty, and another Soyuz was launched empty and returned with three crew, which was another first – first crewed spacecraft to go up empty and return with people. So at least Starliner has that potentially going for it?
No, Astronauts On The ISS Are Not Stranded Because Of Boeing’s Starliner, Despite What You Read
Boeing’s New Spacecraft Launches To The ISS And Is Only Humanity’s 10th Human-Crewed Type Of Spacecraft
A Soyuz Spacecraft Will Launch To The ISS To Replace That One With A Coolant Leak, Marking A Very Specific Space-First
Please be aware that I stopped using your competitor’s site due to the large amount of Elon Musk related clickbait.
I remember your article from last June very well, and I like that you added “according to NASA” because in my memory, it is not only embarrassing for Boeing but also for you who maintain that they are not broken down and that “they should soon return, stop spreading bad news”… defined soon?
about the WIWI (William and Wilmore), the time is getting long up there both of them, I wonder if they will not end up going back down to 3.
(what would be the nationality of the child?)
I just came here to say I love a good Mr. Microphone reference!
He didn’t insert his feelings about Elon, he inserted how weird nerds will cheer him on and jump to his defense when it isn’t even needed.
It wasn’t a slight on spacex, it was a slight on Musks ego and all his weirdo fans
I disagree:
The Zastava Koral, also called the Yugo 45, the Yugo GV, etc. was a poorly built shortened variant of a Fiat 128. However, while it lacked features expected in contemporary cars and was by all accounts a terrible driving experience, it could last for a long time if properly maintained. Crucially, it also suffered from poor build quality because the labor force started with almost no experience building automobiles. Zastava started out as a small arms company
The Boeing Starliner is an original design by a large aerospace company that should know better, but let cost-cutting get in the way of quality control. It does not, however, lack features.
The Starliner is the spacefaring equivalent of a Malaise-era U.S.-spec Ford Granada.
Just thinking how they play it when the Starliner flies robotically back to earth, and either works perfectly, or burns up with bits falling on schools and hospitals…
First scenario would probably best to say a little “we told you it was safe,” and a big “we know now what the problems are and are now ready to spit these capsules off a production line like a hen lays eggs.”
Second case — didn’t we take good care of our astronauts!
Or they could possibly use the X-37 space plane. Oh wait, that’s a Boeing as well.
This need to filter everything through some filter, be it ideological or personal, is a bad look. I don’t care if Musk’s fans are annoying or if I do not care for him as a person. I am thankful he built a program that can return the astronauts safely. Good for SpaceX.
AGREE!
Thankfully, I think this kind of ideological filter is really only rampant on website comment sections and among politicians and the politically obsessed. Really no normal person in the world is going to have to brace themselves for any sort of smugness coming their way here.
Mary Ann Summers, Roy Hinkley, and the rest weren’t stranded on an island either. They were just waiting for a ride.
You’re never really stranded when you’ve got a coconut radio to keep you company.
*Ackchyually* a Packard Bell model 8RT2 AM radio (with a kitchen drawer handle and an antenna added by the prop department; AM radios don’t have external antennas but of course if the Professor could figure out a way to recharge nonrechargeable 4 D cell batteries for the radio by using coconut shells and seawater then he could figure out a way to add an external antenna to an AM radio.)
I’m imagining jolting a palm tree with 4k watts and forming the fronds into a dipole antenna.
I wonder how many coconut shells and how much seawater is needed to charge, say, an old Nissan Leaf or BMW i3?
Ha, yeah, good question about charging a Leaf or i3. Apropos of which, the Autopian’s Twitter account tweeted this about driving a ’66 Gilligan a while back: https://x.com/the_autopian/status/1628603336579600385?t=WDbcxkiRxd-LxksJGjQAeQ&s=19