All Options on the Table for Wilmore, Williams Return to Earth
All Options on the Table for Wilmore, Williams Return to Earth
NASA Officials Say No Final Decision has been Made
Although no final decisions have been made, teams from Boeing and NASA are evaluating returning Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the Starliner spacecraft, which has been docked to the ISS for more than two months. At the same time, NASA also is looking more closely at the capability to return the crew as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Crew-9 will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24, and return to Earth in February 2025.
“Human space flight is inherently risky and as astronauts we accept that as part of the job. Right now the agency is taking the time to ensure we are not putting the crew at a higher risk than is necessary.”
Joe Acaba, NASA
Those were the major takeaways from a media update provided by NASA personnel on Wednesday. The group, including the Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox, highlighted the role safety plays as a core value at NASA and how safety guides the decision-making process for the mission.
The panel also touched on numerous aspects of the Crew Flight Test as NASA and Boeing evaluate the Starliner testing data generated over the past few weeks ahead of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program control board. NASA then plans to hold a readiness review where agency leadership will finalize the plan to return Wilmore and Williams from the space station. Following the readiness review, mission leadership will host a televised briefing to discuss the decision and path forward.
"I do want to emphasize the test flight aspect of this Mission. As astronauts we embark on missions fully aware of the various scenarios and outcomes that may become our realities. We undergo rigorous training to prepare both mentally and physically for the challenges that may arise during any given mission," said NASA Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba. "This mission is a test flight, and as Butch and Suni expressed ahead of their launch they knew this mission might not be perfect. Human space flight is inherently risky and as astronauts we accept that as part of the job. Right now the agency is taking the time to ensure we are not putting the crew at a higher risk than is necessary, and as astronauts that's always something worth waiting for."
The main goal of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is two unique human spaceflight systems. Should any one system encounter an issue, NASA still has the capability to launch and return crew members to ensure safety and a continuous human presence aboard the station.
The International Space Station is the world’s leading space laboratory where researchers conduct cutting-edge research and technology development that will enable human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low Earth orbit, including the Moon and Mars.