NASA has revealed that astronaut Sunita Williams, who launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, may be forced to extend her stay in orbit until as late as February 2025 if the vehicle remains unsafe for her return.
Williams and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore became the first crew to fly on the troubled Starliner, which has experienced a series of technical problems with its propulsion system since docking at the ISS.
These issues have increasingly cast doubt on the spacecraft's ability to safely bring the astronauts back to earth as originally planned.
In a move that would represent a major setback for Boeing's space programme, NASA is now discussing plans to have SpaceX's Crew Dragon accommodate Williams and Wilmore on one of its upcoming missions.
NASA said on Wednesday (7) that astronauts delivered to the ISS could return on SpaceX's Crew Dragon in February 2025.
This would involve leaving two seats empty on a Crew Dragon flight scheduled for February 2025, allowing the astronauts to return home if the Starliner remains grounded.
"We heard from a lot of folks that had concerns, and the decision was not clear," said Ken Bowersox, NASA's space operations chief, regarding the agency's deliberations on how to extract the Starliner crew.
The extended stay for Williams and Wilmore is a stark contrast to the initial eight-day mission they were expected to perform.
Boeing has expressed regret for suggesting the flight would be so brief, with a company executive admitting: "It's my regret that we didn't just say we're going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to go do."
A Boeing spokesperson said that if NASA decides to change the Starliner mission, the company will take the necessary steps to configure the Starliner spacecraft for an uncrewed (without crew) return to earth.
According to experts, technical issues are common for experimental spaceflight missions.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event