Astronauts aboard for eight-day mission could return in February 2025: Nasa

Two astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who became the first to fly Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for an eight-day mission on June 5, 2024, could return next year in February on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon if the Starliner is still unsafe to make its way back to earth, Nasa confirmed on Wednesday. 

Wilmore and Williams have been floating in space for almost two months as problems with Boeing started to emerge upon its approach to the International Space Station (ISS) including leaks in the propulsion system and some of its thrusters began to shut down. 

The flight was the first of its kind and it was carried out to test how it would fare before being used regularly. Thankfully, the two astronauts made it to the space station safely; however, their return could be delayed to 2025, Nasa officials stated in a news briefing on Wednesday. 

"Our prime option is to return Butch (Wilmore) and Suni (Williams) on Starliner. However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open,” Steve Stich, manager of Nasa's Commercial Crew Program, stated.

The Nasa officials also relayed that the two astronauts could be attached to a mission that is supposed to launch in September and will return by February 2025, however, the option is only being considered.

The officials further added that it would take a week or more for a final decision to be made. 

The flight in discussion will be a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft which was supposed to assist four crew members to the ISS but two of the seats in the spacecraft could be left unoccupied for Wilmore and Williams. 

The only drawback with this plan is that the astronauts will have to float and spend more than eight months at the space station. 

And if the plan with the Crew Dragon is carried out, the Starliner would return to earth under computer control.