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NASA has said it has still not decided how to bring home two astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) after their spacecraft developed faults on their outward voyage.
In a news conference on Wednesday, the space agency said Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived at the ISS in June expecting to be there for eight days, may yet have to stay until February.
The astronauts arrived there on a Boeing Starliner – the first crew to use the craft.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft seen from the ISS. Pic: NASA
But the vessel suffered thruster failures and helium leaks en route, raising doubts about whether it could carry them back to Earth safely – leaving the pair in space limbo.
The thrusters are crucial for holding the capsule in the right position when it comes time to descend from orbit.
If NASA decides not to use the Starliner, which Boeing has said is able to return them safely, they would catch a ride on SpaceX’s next flight, which would mean staying at the space station until next Februar.
But by that point, they will have been in space for eight months.
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NASA’s space operations mission chief Ken Bowersox told reporters they are analysing more data before making a decision – either by the end of next week or the beginning of the next.
He said: “We’ve got time available before we bring Starliner home and we want to use that time wisely.”
Switching to SpaceX would also…
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