Will NASA send Boeing's Starliner spacecraft back empty? Here are the details

After arriving at the International Space Station on June 6, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams found themselves stranded in orbit. Technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spaceship have caused an indefinite delay in their return, despite the fact that their mission was only scheduled to last two weeks. There isn't a new return date announced by NASA, as per the reports of Yahoo news.

NASA is currently thinking of returning the Starliner spaceship to Earth without the astronauts on board. According to CNBC, there hasn't been much consensus on this proposal yet. To return the astronauts home, a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule would be sent. Although it was developed at a lower cost than Starliner, the Crew Dragon is a part of the same Commercial Crew program and has not encountered any problems of the same nature.

Possible consequences

NASA would be showing a serious lack of confidence in Boeing's Starliner if they decided to return the spaceship empty. Additionally, considering the previous history of Starliner delays and technical issues, this would pose a serious public relations challenge for both Boeing and NASA. Even still, NASA and Boeing have committed $6.7 billion to the project since 2010, so they are unlikely to give up on it quickly.


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NASA has minimized the seriousness of Boeing's problems throughout the last two months. The astronauts were not stranded, according to NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich's statement in late June. During docking in early June, the Starliner spacecraft experienced issues with a few of its twenty-eight thrusters. Although NASA stated that all thrusters but one are operating as intended, it is still unknown what is causing the issue.

Decisions still pending

In an effort to get more information, NASA and Boeing are still looking into the spacecraft's issues. The urgency of the problem increases with the expectation that the spacecraft's batteries will only last until early September in orbit. NASA is still examining all of its options for rescuing the astronauts.

FAQs

Why are NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded in space?
Technical problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft have caused their return to Earth to be delayed indefinitely, despite their mission being scheduled for just two weeks.

What is NASA considering to solve the problem?
NASA is considering sending the Starliner back to Earth empty and using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to bring the astronauts home, though this plan is still being discussed.