NASA: Sunita Williams Could Return on Another Craft in February 2025 If Needed

The Starliner spacecraft, launched in June, carried two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in a high-stakes test mission. This mission is crucial for NASA to certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut flights.

NASA announced on Wednesday that astronauts delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) by Boeing’s Starliner could return on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if Starliner remains unsafe for reentry. The Starliner spacecraft, launched in June, carried two astronauts to the ISS in a high-stakes test mission required before NASA can certify it for routine astronaut flights. However, the mission, initially expected to last about eight days, has been significantly extended due to various issues with the craft’s propulsion system that Boeing and NASA are working to resolve.

These issues have raised concerns about Starliner’s capability to safely bring back its crew, veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. NASA is currently evaluating the possibility of using a Crew Dragon capsule to return them to Earth instead.