NASA is expecting to make a final decision near the end of this month as to when and how to bring home two astronauts who have been stuck at the International Space Station for more than two months.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in early June, on a journey that was meant to last just over a week. But several issues were detected with the vehicle while it traveled to the orbiting outpost, forcing the pair to stay in space.
NASA officials said Wednesday that engineers and technical experts are combing through weeks of data from tests and weighing different options for how to return the astronauts to Earth. Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said they will likely complete their analysis next week, after which a formal review will be conducted “around the end of next week, potentially beginning of the following week.”
NASA is deciding whether to fly Wilmore and Williams back aboard the beleaguered Starliner or use one of SpaceX’s Dragon capsules to bring them home instead.
Wilmore and Williams’ launch marked the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. The mission was designed to be a crucial final test before NASA could certify Boeing to make regular flights to and from the ISS.
But five of Starliner’s thrusters malfunctioned as the spacecraft was approaching the space station in June, causing delays during the rendezvous and docking process. Helium was also leaking from the capsule’s propulsion system during flight — a problem that mission managers knew about before Starliner launched into orbit but had said was unlikely to affect the mission or the astronauts’ safety.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
