T he launch of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which aims to transport four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), will be delayed, NASA announced Tuesday. This mission could also serve as a backup vehicle for the crew assigned to Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft.
NASA stated that the delay "allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning" for the Starliner and its crew. A news conference will be held by NASA on Wednesday at 12:30 PM ET to discuss the change.
Rumors are circulating about the fate of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which has remained attached to the ISS for approximately seven weeks longer than planned. This delay has left its two crewmembers, veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, in limbo aboard the orbiting laboratory.
NASA now projects that the SpaceX Crew-9 mission will not launch until September 24 at the earliest. Previously, the agency indicated that the Crew-9 mission could launch as soon as August 18, following Williams and Wilmore's return to Earth aboard Starliner.
Boeing reported on July 25 that engineers had conducted rigorous ground tests and identified the likely root causes of issues Starliner experienced in June, including five thrusters that abruptly stopped working and helium leaks. This testing and discovery process was intended to enable NASA to determine whether Starliner could safely return Williams and Wilmore home.
However, these efforts seem to be stalled. NASA had initially expected to begin a "flight readiness review" for the Starliner in early August, but that review process has not started as the agency has yet to decide on a target return date. Ultimately, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will make the final decision about how and when Williams and Wilmore will return home, with safety being the top priority.
SpaceX and Boeing personnel will not participate in the Wednesday news conference. Instead, NASA officials will address the status of both missions: SpaceX Crew-9 and Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test.
Starliner’s Uncertain Future
NASA previously stated that Starliner must fly home solely under computer control, even with astronauts on board. While Williams and Wilmore briefly took manual control of Starliner en route to the ISS, this manual operation increased stress on the propulsion system. Despite these challenges, Boeing remains confident that the vehicle is safe to bring its crew home.
Williams and Wilmore docked at the ISS on June 6 and have been there for 61 days as mission teams conduct tests and analyses to resolve the thruster issues and helium leaks. NASA has considered using SpaceX to bring the Starliner astronauts home as a contingency, but the agency prefers to complete the mission and return Williams and Wilmore on Starliner.
“There is a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, during the July briefing. Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, added, “Of course, I’m very confident we have a good vehicle to bring the crew back with.”
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