Washington DC:

Billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday (local time) said that US President Donald Trump had asked him to facilitate the return of the two Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the space station since June 2024, as soon as possible.

The SpaceX CEO claimed that it was “terrible” that the pair were left “stranded” at the International Space Station (ISS) by former President Joe Biden’s administration for so long, even though NASA had already roped in SpaceX months ago to return both astronauts as part of its Crew-9 mission.

“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk said in a post on X.

The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.

Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2025

“Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long,” he added.

NASA has continuously said that astronauts are not stranded and that they are healthy, and in good spirits.

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024. The flight, which was intended to last only 10 days, experienced a rocky journey. After arriving at the space station, NASA and Boeing worked for weeks to better understand the problems in the spacecraft but it was ultimately decided that it was too risky to return the Startliner with the crew.

Following this, in August 2024, the space agency announced that it had asked SpaceX to bring Williams and Wilmore home aboard the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule. The two astronauts were slotted into Crew-9, with NASA removing two of the four crew members who were set to launch on the SpaceX Dragon in September.

Instead, only an astronaut and cosmonaut were launched aboard that flight to make room for Williams and Wilmore, who were set to return home at the end of the expedition in February of 2025.

However, there was another delay in December, because SpaceX needed more time to work on the latest Dragon spacecraft, which will be debuting with the launch of Crew-10.

That meant Crew-9, including the two Boeing astronauts, would not be back home until late March after Crew-10 reached the ISS.

But Musk’s latest post suggested that the Crew Dragon capsule, named ‘Freedom,’ may make an early departure from the ISS, with Wilmore and Williams onboard.

This undated handout picture from NASA released on July 2, 2024 shows NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
| Photo Credit: AFP

One of NASA’s two stuck astronauts got a much welcomed change of scenery Thursday, stepping out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago.

Sunita Williams, the station’s commander, had to tackle some overdue outdoor repair work alongside NASA’s Nick Hague. They emerged as the orbiting lab sailed 420km above Turkmenistan.

“I’m coming out,” Ms. Williams radioed.

Plans called for Ms. Williams to float back out next week with Butch Wilmore. Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June on what should have been a weeklong test flight.

But Starliner trouble dragged out their return, and NASA ordered the capsule to come back empty. Then SpaceX delayed the launch of their replacements, meaning the two won’t be home until late March or early April — ten months after launching.

It was the first spacewalk by NASA astronauts since an aborted one last summer. U.S. spacewalks were put on hold after water leaked into the airlock from the cooling loop for an astronaut’s suit. NASA said the problem has been fixed.

This was the eighth spacewalk for Ms. Williams, who has lived on the space station before.

As the US gears up for its November 5 presidential election, an extraordinary group of voters prepares to cast their ballots from an unconventional polling station – the International Space Station (ISS). 

Astronauts stationed hundreds of miles above Earth are fully eligible to participate in the US elections, ensuring that even those orbiting the planet can exercise their right to vote.

Aboard the ISS are Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. Since their mission was extended in June 2024 due to safety protocols, they have announced their intention to vote in the US elections from space. They will be stuck in space until at least February 2025.

During a NASA press conference in September, Williams expressed her enthusiasm for voting from orbit, saying, “It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and [I am] looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool.”

Wilmore added, “It’s a very important role that we all play as citizens, to be included in those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us to do that. So we’re excited about that opportunity.”

This is not an isolated instance. Astronauts have cast their ballot from space since 1997, thanks to a Texas law. It was passed to support astronauts from Texas, where NASA’s Johnson Space Center is located, in staying involved in the democratic process while fulfilling their duties in space.

David Wolf was the first to vote from the now-defunct Mir Space Station in 1997. Since then, multiple astronauts have cast their ballots. Kate Rubins was the last astronaut to vote from the ISS during the 2020 US elections.

The voting process for astronauts is streamlined and secure. After applying for an absentee ballot, the astronauts complete their ballots electronically while aboard the ISS. NASA then encrypts the data and uploads it to an onboard computer, transmitting it via the agency’s Near Space Network.

This information is relayed through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, before being forwarded to Mission Control in Houston. From there, the ballots are electronically sent to the respective county clerk’s offices for official processing.

NASA emphasises the significance of this connection in a recent blog post: “Astronauts forego many of the comforts afforded to those back on Earth as they embark on their journeys to space for the benefit of humanity. Though they are far from home, NASA’s networks connect them with their friends and family and give them the opportunity to participate in democracy and society while in orbit.”

SpaceX has launched its Crew Dragon spacecraft on a “rescue mission” to bring back two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) since June. Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams travelled to the space station on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was on its first mission with a human crew.

But several engines malfunctioned once in space and the vehicle was found to be leaking helium, which is essential for the functioning of its engines. After weeks of analysis and discussion by NASA and Boeing engineers, the space agency decided to send Wilmore and Williams home on the Crew Dragon because of safety concerns with Starliner.

For Boeing, this embarrassing episode is the latest in a long series of problems. They include fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 and a door that blew out mid-flight on a 737 Max 9 plane in January 2024.

Boeing’s Starliner craft has been beset with challenges since 2014 when Nasa awarded both Boeing and Space X with contracts to develop spacecraft that could transport astronauts and supplies to and from the ISS as part of its Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

Boeing received US$4.2 billion (£3bn) to develop the Starliner craft, while SpaceX received US$2.6 billion (£1.9 billion) to develop the Crew Dragon. Despite the lower contract value, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has performed much better than Starliner, making a successful first crewed flight in 2020 and launching regularly to the ISS ever since. Starliner, meanwhile, has still not had a fully successful crewed flight.

SpaceX was seen as something of an upstart at the time the contract was awarded, so the outcome shows how much the landscape has shifted in the space sector. It’s also a vote in favour of the iterative, agile processes that Space X adopts, versus the more traditional, linear development processes at Boeing.

Boeing’s reputation for safety and reliability took a massive hit with the two fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft. According to a Congressional committee report from 2020, the accidents happened against a background of financial pressure to compete with Airbus’ relatively new A320neo family of aircraft.

This pressure “resulted in extensive efforts to cut costs” and maintain the 737 Max program schedule, the report said. The committee identified several instances where “the desire to meet these goals and expectations jeopardised the safety of the flying public”. Nevertheless, Boeing still managed to spend several billion dollars buying back shares, which can boost a company’s share price, among other things.

Boeing engineers were concerned about pressures within the company and their effects on safety. These worries extended to the development of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), an onboard system intended to prevent stalling by adjusting the aircraft’s angle automatically. However, the system was initially omitted from aircraft documentation. Pilots who were not familiar with the system didn’t know how to override it, leading to the fatal accidents.

In response to the Congressional report, a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement: “We have learned many hard lessons as a company from the accidents…as this report recognises, we have made fundamental changes to our company as a result, and continue to look for ways to improve.”

Faced with a public outcry after the accidents, Boeing made adjustments to its safety management systems and supply chain quality controls. It also added safety goals as a feature of its employee compensation processes and is generally trying to shift its culture to emphasise safety. There is also more oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Safety culture

The partial failure of Starliner’s mission doesn’t help Boeing’s effort to bounce back from its problems. The company’s reputation has not been irreparably damaged, however. Boeing can recover and is taking the right initiatives to re-emphasise a safety culture – something that’s crucial to its business going forward.

But recovering trust while upholding financial performance can take years. Boeing has lost US$32 billion (£24 billion) since 2019. While losses narrowed in 2023, figures for the last two quarters have not been encouraging with respect to returning to profit. Boeing has a strong order book, but the company needs to find ways to balance efficiency and profitability without compromising safety.

For now, the future of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, to transport astronauts to and from the space station, is secure. Nasa can lean more on SpaceX, as it is doing to return the stranded astronauts.

Other companies such as Sierra Space are also developing spacecraft that could, in future, undertake the safe transport of humans to and from space. It’s quite possible that Nasa could eventually partner with these companies for its future needs.

The US space agency prefers to have more than one supplier in crucial services such as this, so that it has flexibility when needed. It’s also preferable in case something goes wrong with one of the vehicles, something known as having “redundancy”.

The ISS is expected to be decommissioned in 2030, when it will reach the limits of its useful life. Nasa is likely to support Boeing’s continued involvement with the Commercial Crew Program given the sunk costs of the contract and Nasa’s need to have more than one supplier.

Yet, even after the ISS is commanded to burn up over the Pacific Ocean, there will probably be commercially owned space stations that require vehicles to transport astronauts. However, both Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft spent more than a decade in development. So while other companies are waiting in the wings, their vehicles are not going to materialise immediately.

Nasa is also building a space station in orbit around the Moon, called Gateway. This is part of Nasa’s Artemis programme. The space agency’s Orion spacecraft will fulfil the crew transport role at first, but there could be a place for commercial providers further down the road.

The Artemis programme has the objective of returning humans to the Moon this decade and Gateway will be central to lunar operations. Nasa could also launch missions to other destinations in deep space from this lunar space station.

Boeing may or may not choose to be a part of this bold new era in spaceflight. But it will need to fully implement the significant changes necessary to rebuild trust and recover from a challenging few years.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

SpaceX, the private company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, today launched a rescue mission with two passengers on board, leaving two seats empty to return the American astronauts who have been stranded for months on the International Space Station, NASA said. 

The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It used a new launch pad, the pad’s first use for a crewed mission.

On board are NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.  

“Congrats to @NASA and @SpaceX on a successful launch,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a post on X. “We live in an exciting period of exploration and innovation in the stars.”

When they return from the space station in February, they will bring back the two space veterans — Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams — whose stay on the ISS was prolonged for months by problems with their Boeing-designed Starliner spacecraft. 

The newly developed Starliner was making its first crewed flight when it delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS in June.

The astronauts were supposed to be there for only an eight-day stay, but after problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system emerged during the flight there, NASA was forced to weigh a radical change in plans. 
 

The New York Post reported that Since 1997, American astronauts have been casting their votes from space, thanks to a bill passed by the Texas legislature allowing NASA employees to participate in voting from space. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Stranded on the International Space Station through February, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore plan to vote in the November 5 U.S. presidential election from space.

“It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens and (I am) looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Ms. Williams, who is of Indian origin, said on a call with reporters on Friday (September 12, 2024) afternoon.

Ms. Williams, 58, and Wilmore, 61, participated in a press conference on Friday (September 12, 2024) from the International Space Station (ISS), which has been their home since June. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft ran into several problems mid-flight and could not bring them home from a planned 8-day voyage.

“I sent down my request for a ballot today,” Mr. Wilmore said. “It’s a very important role that we play as citizens including those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us to do that,” he said. They, however, did not indicate which presidential candidate – either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris – would get their vote.

American astronauts have been voting from space since 1997 when the Texas legislature passed a bill allowing NASA employees to vote from space, New York Post reported. That year, NASA astronaut David Wolf became the first American to vote from space on the Mir Space Station. In 2020, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins also performed her civic duty from space on the ISS.

Election officials in Harris County, Texas – where NASA’s Johnson Space Station is located – told NBC News that they work with NASA to send astronauts a PDF with clickable boxes to make their choices. The PDF is password-protected to ensure a secret ballot.

Friday’s (September 12, 2024) press conference came exactly one week after the Starliner returned to Earth – without its crew – to make room on the space station for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which is now due to bring the two astronauts’ home in February.

Ms. Williams and Wilmore are living on the ISS with seven other astronauts. They said they feel “grateful” to spend more time in space, despite difficulties.

When asked if it was difficult to see the Starliner leave without them, Ms. Williams said they were tasked with ensuring it left the ISS safely. “We were watching our spaceship fly away,” she said.

Ms. Williams said as she and Mr. Wilmore used to work in the Navy, they are “not surprised when deployments get changed. It’s risky and that’s how it goes in the business,” she said.

When asked if they feel let down by NASA and Boeing, Mr. Wilmore said, “Absolutely not.” Pointing to Ms. William’s t-shirt with a NASA logo, he said: “That represents something that we stand for as an agency – we go beyond, we do things that are out of the ordinary. This is not easy,” he added. He said that 90% of their astronaut training is about preparing for “the unexpected”.

Ms. Williams, who has just been named the commander of the International Space Station, said she was in good spirits.

“We’re here with our friends, we’ve got a ride home,” she said, adding that she is looking forward to the next couple of months on board the ISS.

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who is stuck on the International Space Station (ISS), today said it was her “happy place” and that she “loves” being up there. Ms Williams and her fellow NASA colleague Butch Wilmore on June 5 took off aboard the Boeing’s Starliner as part of the vessel’s first crewed mission, in what was originally meant to be eight days in orbit. Their stay, however, has been stretched to eight months after the Starliner ran into several technical issues and returned to Earth without them last week.

“That’s how things go in this business,” Sunita Williams said in a video press conference on being stuck in the space.

Ms Williams said the transition to station life was “not that hard” since both astronauts had previous stints there.

“This is my happy place. I love being up here in space,” the veteran astronaut said.

“We wanted to take Starliner to the completion and land back on land at home, but you know, you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity,” she added.

LIVE: From the @Space_Station, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams discuss their ongoing mission and answer questions from the media: https://t.co/ytifGf22Gn

— NASA (@NASA) September 13, 2024

Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore are scheduled to return in February with the Crew-9 flight of billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Ms Williams said she was a little bit nervous that she was not returning home immediately.

“In the back of my mind, there are folks on the ground who have some plans like my family…spending times with my mother. And I think I was fretting more about that. Like the things we had planned for this fall or winter…but everybody was on board and that prepared us,” she said.

Mr Wilmore said he was “absolutely not” let down by the decision to stay in space and indicated there were “disagreements” about how to handle the return.

“We could have gotten to the point, I believe, where we could have returned on Starliner, but we just simply ran out of time,” he said in the press conference.

“In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner when we had other options,” he added.

Sunita Williams, Butch Willmore To Vote In US Elections From Space

The two astronauts said they were looking forward to casting their ballot in the 2024 US presidential election from the International Space Station.

Butch Willmore said he has sent down his request for a ballot today.

“It is a very important role that we all play as American citizens,” he said. “NASA makes it very easy for us to do that.”

Sunita Williams also said it is a “very important duty”.

“Looking forward to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” she said.

The US elections – a fight between Democrat Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump – will be held on November 5.

Boeing’s Starliner Setbacks

After years of delays, Boeing’s Starliner finally lifted off on June 5 carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, both former military test pilots, to the International Space Station. However, a day later, as Starliner was approaching the ISS, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters.

Hugs all around! The Expedition 71 crew greets Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni aboard @Space_Station after #Starliner docked at 1:34 p.m. ET on June 6. pic.twitter.com/wQZAYy2LGH

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024

Five of Starliner’s 28 thrusters failed during flight and it sprang several leaks of helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters. It was still able to dock with the space station, which has housed rotating crews of astronauts for over two decades.

NASA, however, feared the capsule would not be able to achieve the thrust necessary to return to Earth and decided to transfer the two astronauts to a SpaceX mission and return the Starliner empty.

In this screen grab from a NASA livestream, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft can be seen pulling away from the International Space Station for its unmanned return to the surface of Earth on September 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

After months of turmoil over its safety, Boeing’s new astronaut capsule departed the International Space Station on Friday (September 6, 2024) without its crew and headed back to Earth.

NASA’s two test pilots stayed behind at the space station — their home until next year — as the Starliner capsule undocked 260 miles (420 kilometres) over China, springs gently pushing it away from the orbiting laboratory. The return flight was expected to take six hours, with a nighttime touchdown in the New Mexico desert.

“She’s on her way home,” astronaut Suni Williams radioed after Starliner exited

Ms. Williams and Butch Wilmore should have flown Starliner back to Earth in June, a week after launching in it. But thruster failures and helium leaks marred their ride to the space station.

NASA ultimately decided it was too risky to return the duo on Starliner. So the fully automated capsule left with its empty seats and blue spacesuits along with some old station equipment. SpaceX will bring the duo back in late February, stretching their original eight-day mission to more than eight months.

Boeing’s first astronaut flight caps a journey filled with delays and setbacks. After the space shuttles retired more than a decade ago, NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX for orbital taxi service. Boeing ran into so many problems on its first test flight with no one aboard in 2019 that it had to repeat it. The 2022 do-over uncovered even more flaws and the repair bill topped $1 billion.

SpaceX’s crew ferry flight later this month will be its 10th for NASA since 2020. The Dragon capsule will launch on the half-year expedition with only two astronauts since two seats are reserved for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg.

As veteran astronauts and retired Navy captains, Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams anticipated hurdles on the test flight. They’ve kept busy in space, helping with repairs and experiments. The two are now full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board.

Even before the pair launched on June 5, Starliner’s propulsion system was leaking helium. The leak was small and thought to be isolated, but four more cropped up after liftoff. Then five thrusters failed. Although four of the thrusters were recovered, it gave NASA pause as to whether more malfunctions might hamper the capsule’s descent from orbit.

Boeing conducted numerous thruster tests in space and on the ground over the summer, and was convinced its spacecraft could safely bring Wilmore and Williams home. But NASA disagreed and opted for SpaceX.

A minute after separating from the space station, Starliner’s thrusters could be seen firing as the white, blue-trimmed capsule slowly backed away. NASA Mission Control called it a “perfect” departure.

Flight controllers planned more test firings of the capsule’s thrusters following undocking. Engineers suspect the more the thrusters are fired, the hotter they become, causing protective seals to swell and obstruct the flow of propellant. They won’t be able to examine any of the parts; the section holding the thrusters will be ditched just before reentry.

NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said earlier this week that teams have been so focused on Starliner’s return that they’ve had no time to think about what’s next for Boeing. He said the space agency remains committed to having two competing U.S. companies transporting astronauts.

NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will close the hatches between Starliner and the space station on Thursday (September 5, 2024). 
| Photo Credit: AP

Boeing will attempt to return its problem-plagued capsule from the International Space Station later this week — with empty seats.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) that everything is on track for the Starliner capsule to undock from the space station Friday evening. The fully automated capsule will aim for a touchdown in New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range six hours later.

NASA’s two stuck astronauts who flew up on Starliner will remain behind at the orbiting lab. They will ride home with SpaceX in February, eight months after launching on what should have been a weeklong test flight. Thruster trouble and helium leaks kept delaying their return until NASA decided that it was too risky for them to accompany Starliner back as originally planned.

Also Read: Explained | What does spaceflight do to the human body?

“It’s been a journey to get here and we’re excited to have Starliner return,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.

NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will close the hatches between Starliner and the space station on Thursday (September 5, 2024). They are now considered full-time station crew members along with the seven others on board, helping with experiments and maintenance and ramping up their exercise to keep their bones and muscles strong during their prolonged exposure to weightlessness.

To make room for them on SpaceX’s next taxi flight, the Dragon capsule will launch with two astronauts instead of the usual four. Two were cut late last week from the six-month expedition, which is due to blast off in late September. Boeing has to free up the parking place for SpaceX’s arrival.

Boeing encountered serious flaws with Starliner long before its June 5 liftoff on the long-delayed astronaut demo.

Starliner’s first test flight went so poorly in 2019 — the capsule never reached the space station because of software errors — that the mission was repeated three years later. More problems surfaced, resulting in even more delays and more than $1 billion in repairs.

Also Read: Explained | Significance of Boeing Starliner’s first crewed test flight on May 7,2024

The capsule had suffered multiple thruster failures and propulsion-system helium leaks by the time it pulled up at the space station after launch. Boeing conducted extensive thruster tests in space and on the ground and contended the capsule could safely bring the astronauts back. But NASA disagreed, setting the complex ride swap in motion.

Starliner will make a faster, simpler getaway than planned, using springs to push away from the space station and then short thruster firings to gradually increase the distance. The original plan called for an hour of dallying near the station, mostly for picture-taking; that was cut to 20 or so minutes to reduce the stress on the capsule’s thrusters and keep the station safe.

Additional test firings of Starliner’s 28 thrusters are planned before the all-important descent from orbit. Engineers want to learn as much as they can since the thrusters won’t return to Earth; the section containing them will be ditched before the capsule reenters.

The stuck astronauts — retired Navy captains — have lived on the space station before and settled in just fine, according to NASA officials. Even though their mission focus has changed, “they’re just as dedicated to the success of human spaceflight going forward,” flight director Anthony Vareha said.

The blue Boeing spacesuits will return with the capsule, along with some old station equipment.

NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to ferry its astronauts to and from the space station after its shuttles retired. SpaceX accomplished the feat in 2020 and has since launched nine crews for NASA and four for private customers.

In this photo provided by NASA, astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams inspect safety hardware aboard the International Space Station on August 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

NASA decided on Saturday (August 24, 2024) it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they’ll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a weeklong test flight for the pair will now last more than eight months.

The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster failures and helium leaks in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers conducted tests and debated what to do about the trip back.

After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday (August 24, 2024). Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will come back in a SpaceX spacecraft in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey, with touchdown in the U.S. desert.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administration Bill Nelson. “And so the decision… is a commitment to safety.”

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.

It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled program after years of delays and ballooning costs. The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.

Boeing did not participate in Saturday’s news conference by NASA but released a statement: “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return.”

Retired Navy captains with previous long-duration spaceflight experience, Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, anticipated surprises when they accepted the shakedown cruise of a new spacecraft, although not quite to this extent.

Before their June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, they said their families bought into the uncertainty and stress of their professional careers decades ago. During their lone orbital news conference last month, they said they had trust in the thruster testing being conducted. They had no complaints, they added, and enjoyed pitching in with space station work.

Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, was equally stoic in an interview earlier this month with WVLT-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee, their home state. She was already bracing for a delay until next February: “You just sort of have to roll with it.”

There were few options.

The SpaceX capsule currently parked at the space station is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They will return in late September, their stay extended a month by the Starliner dilemma. NASA said it would be unsafe to squeeze two more into the capsule, except in an emergency.

The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.

So Wilmore and Williams will wait for SpaceX’s next taxi flight. It’s due to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four for a routine six-month stay. NASA yanked two to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight in late February.

NASA said no serious consideration was given to asking SpaceX for a quick stand-alone rescue. Last year, the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement Soyuz capsule for three men whose original craft was damaged by space junk. The switch pushed their mission beyond a year, a U.S. space endurance record still held by Frank Rubio.

Starliner’s woes began long before its latest flight.

Bad software fouled the first test flight without a crew in 2019, prompting a do-over in 2022. Then parachute and other issues cropped up, including a helium leak in the capsule’s propellant system that nixed a launch attempt in May. The leak eventually was deemed to be isolated and small enough to pose no concern. But more leaks sprouted following liftoff, and five thrusters also failed.

All but one of those small thrusters restarted in flight. But engineers remain perplexed as to why some thruster seals appear to swell, obstructing the propellant lines, then revert to their normal size.

These 28 thrusters are vital. Besides needed for space station rendezvous, they keep the capsule pointed in the right direction at flight’s end as bigger engines steer the craft out of orbit. Coming in crooked could result in catastrophe.

With the Columbia disaster still fresh in many minds — the shuttle broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing all seven aboard — NASA embraced open debate over Starliner’s return capability. Dissenting views were stifled during Columbia’s doomed flight, just as they were during Challenger’s in 1986.

Despite Saturday’s decision, NASA isn’t giving up on Boeing.

NASA went into its commercial crew program a decade ago wanting two competing U.S. companies ferrying astronauts in the post-shuttle era. Boeing won the bigger contract: more than $4 billion, compared with SpaceX’s $2.6 billion.

With station supply runs already under its belt, SpaceX aced its first of now nine astronaut flights in 2020, while Boeing got bogged down in design flaws that set the company back more than $1 billion. NASA officials still hold out hope that Starliner’s problems can be corrected in time for another crew flight in another year or so.