Astronauts will probably be stuck on the ISS until 2025

After weeks of assurances that everything was basically fine with the Starliner spacecraft and that the return to Earth was only being postponed out of caution, yesterday evening the situation was clarified for the first time: the situation is as bad as expected, and the astronauts may be stuck. NASA

NASA finally speaks plainly

We already wrote yesterday that the statements about Starliner and the condition of the capsule are no longer even remotely credible and yesterday the US space agency NASA finally realized that the situation can no longer be glossed over – and one can certainly also speak of “lying to the public”. A press conference also brought a bombshell: According to NASA, the situation is actually difficult and even dramatic. Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were originally supposed to stay on the International Space Station for around a week and have already been stuck there for two months, will probably have to cancel all appointments on Earth this year.

Yes, this year: NASA has announced (via Ars-Technica) that a return may not be possible until 2025. The how is not yet entirely clear: those responsible are currently still trying to solve the problems with the Boeing spacecraft so that it can return to Earth under its own power – ideally it will be so safe that Wilmore and Williams can fly with it. If that is not the case, a plan B is being worked on: This means that the Starliner astronauts would extend their stay on board the ISS and fly two astronauts to the space station as a (regular) replacement crew in September on the Crew 9 mission instead of the planned four. The quartet would then return to Earth as planned with the help of the Crew Dragon capsule in February 2025. An explicit rescue mission is not planned and is not necessary. At the moment, the chances are roughly equal for both variants, a decision must and will be made soon, because NASA has to adjust its plans for this by mid-August.