NASA explains why Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were not involved in the Starliner missions

Boeing’s Starliner capsule successfully returned to Earth over the weekend after a mission plagued by significant technical problems and delays. The capsule, which was six hours from the International Space Station (ISS), landed on autopilot at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The mission, originally scheduled for June, encountered problems including engine malfunctions and helium leaks that extended the duration of the mission.

The goal of the mission was to bring NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the ISS. It was Boeing’s first manned mission. However, due to ongoing technical problems, NASA decided that the Starliner was too risky for their return. Instead, the astronauts are scheduled to return in 2025 on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and extend their stay on the ISS until February, significantly longer than originally planned.

Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said the unmanned landing was successful despite an engine malfunction and a guidance system failure during reentry. “I think we made the right decision not to have Butch and Suni on board,” Stich said.

Boeing had argued that the Starliner was safe after extensive testing, but NASA decided to use SpaceX to return the astronauts. “We didn’t have that level of safety,” Stich explained, because the mission was a test flight.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the organization’s commitment to safety: “Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight is inherently neither safe nor routine.”

Ken Bowersox of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate added that despite the need to return the capsule unmanned, NASA and Boeing gained valuable lessons from the mission. Starliner has faced numerous delays and challenges since the space shuttles were retired over a decade ago. Boeing has struggled with problems, including a failed test flight in 2019 that had to be repeated in 2022, pushing costs to over $1 billion. During that mission, the spacecraft experienced helium leaks and engine failures, raising concerns about reentry. Boeing’s future with Starliner remains uncertain. Ron Epstein, an aerospace analyst, suggested that Boeing may reconsider its commitment to human spaceflight due to delays and cost overruns.

While Starliner returns to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for analysis, Stich said it’s too early to determine the capsule’s next crewed flight. Wilmore and Williams are expected to give a press conference from the ISS on Sept. 13.