Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore may need to remain at the International Space Station for at least six months, taking on additional responsibilities.
Boeing’s Starliner is currently facing issues like helium leakage and thruster failures, which could leave astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) until NASA develops a backup plan for their return. According to a report by CNBC, NASA is considering using the SpaceX Dragon capsule to bring the astronauts back to Earth in February 2025.
In the meantime, Williams and Wilmore might remain at the ISS as full-time expedition crew members, taking on additional roles and responsibilities. Unlike test-flight crew members, full-time expedition members have distinct duties on the ISS. Although NASA still classifies Williams and Wilmore as guests, not part of Expedition 71, they will be transitioned into full-time crew members if Boeing is unable to resolve the Starliner issues, requiring them to assume expedition-level responsibilities.
Dana Weigel, NASA’s International Space Station Program manager, stated, “Butch and Suni are fully trained, they’re capable and current with EVA (spacewalks), with robotics, with all the things we need them to do.”
Weigel added that NASA had planned for this possibility, ensuring that the crew had the necessary resources, supplies, and training to extend their stay on the ISS if required.
NASA is also considering launching Boeing’s Starliner without astronauts on board, leaving SpaceX’s Dragon Crew-9 mission as the return vehicle for the current ISS crew. To accommodate the returning astronauts, the Crew-9 mission, which has a capacity of four passengers, may only carry two astronauts to the ISS.