NASA has delayed the departure of astronauts heading for the International Space Station on a SpaceX flight owing to continued problems with Boeing’s Starliner aircraft.
The Starliner, which delivered two NASA astronauts to the ISS in early June, has been docked for the past two months due to faults identified in its propulsion system during flight, making the mission’s return date increasingly questionable.
The next group of four ISS crew members, designated Crew-9, were scheduled to be deployed by SpaceX in mid-August to replace the existing crew of eight, referred to as “Crew-8,” on board the space station.
However, NASA has had to come up with a plan to discover a another route to return the two stranded men to Earth.
The two stranded astronauts and the two Crew-8 members may be returned by the Crew-9 voyage, which is now slated to launch by September 24 at the latest. This would give Boeing additional time to address problems with its spacecraft.
The Starliner, which also had helium leaks detected during its voyage, could also return unmanned if safety issues are not resolved.
NASA stated it was planning a press conference on Wednesday to provide updates on both Crew-9 and the Starliner spacecraft.
