Is Boeing's Capsule safe for returning 2 astronauts from space? NASA to decide on Saturday

NASA announced on Thursday that it will make a decision this weekend on whether Boeing’s new Starliner capsule is safe enough to bring two astronauts back from the International Space Station . The astronauts have been waiting at the station since June.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other senior officials will meet on Saturday to discuss the issue. A decision is expected to be announced from Houston after the meeting.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5. Shortly after, the flight encountered serious thruster failures and helium leaks. As a result, NASA has kept the capsule at the station while engineers worked on a solution.

If NASA decides not to use Starliner, SpaceX could retrieve the astronauts, but this would mean they would stay at the station until February. The astronauts were initially scheduled to return within a week of their arrival.

Should NASA choose SpaceX, the Starliner capsule would return to Earth empty in September.

Engineers are currently assessing a new computer model to evaluate the performance of Starliner’s thrusters during re-entry and landing in the U.S. Western desert. These results and updated risk assessments will influence the final decision.

Earlier this month, Boeing stated that extensive testing has shown Starliner’s capability to safely return the astronauts. This flight was Boeing’s first with astronauts, following years of delays due to various issues with the capsule. The company had previously conducted two uncrewed test flights.

NASA had hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to transport astronauts to and from the ISS after the retirement of the space shuttles. SpaceX has been carrying out these missions since 2020.

Agencies