Boeing Starliner astronauts may not return home until 2025

Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams may seek another ride home from space, officials said Wednesday. The Americans may leave the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX craft instead of the Boeing capsule that took them there, NASA said in a news conference. The NASA astronauts’ mission that began in June was only supposed to last a week but has extended more than 60 days because of an equipment problem. Some of the thrusters on their return capsule failed while trying to dock at the ISS. Boeing and NASA have not yet set a return date for Wilmore and Williams.

What is the potential solution? SpaceX’s Dragon Crew-9 craft may launch in September with two empty seats—room for bringing Butch and Suni home, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Steve Stich said. The spacecraft would carry extra spacesuits for the two. The SpaceX craft is scheduled to return to Earth in February.

Meanwhile, Boeing on Friday said it is confident that the Starliner craft could return to Earth with Butch and Suni as its crew. Testing of the module’s propulsion system found that 27 of the 28 thrusters are at full operating capacity, Boeing said. NASA has not yet approved the Starliner capsule for return.

Dig deeper: Read Heather Frank’s report in Beginnings about why the United States is going back to the moon.