NASA has announced that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stranded in space since June, will return to Earth in February next year on a SpaceX mission.
According to NASA administrator Bill Nelson, the astronauts will board the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which will mark a significant shift in plans after their original Boeing Starliner spacecraft experienced technical issues.
The Starliner spacecraft, which launched on June 5, encountered problems with its thrusters and helium leaks during its 25-hour flight to the International Space Station (ISS). Despite initial plans to return to Earth on June 13, and later June 26, NASA ultimately decided to keep the astronauts on the ISS and return the Starliner spacecraft uncrewed.
Nelson emphasized that the decision was made with safety in mind, stating that “space flight is risky, even at its safest and even at its most routine.” He added that the commitment to safety led to the decision to have SpaceX rescue the astronauts.
However, the move has been met with criticism from Boeing employees, who have labeled the decision as “shameful.” One employee told the New York Post that the decision has added to the company’s embarrassment, saying, “We have had so many embarrassments lately, we’re under a microscope.” The employee also expressed a deep-seated dislike for SpaceX, stating that Boeing employees “talk s**t about them all the time.”
The development comes after NASA announced in early August that it was evaluating all options for the return of Wilmore and Williams. The decision to have SpaceX rescue the astronauts marks a significant shift in plans and highlights the challenges faced by NASA and its partners in space exploration.
