NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to meet with Boeing executives this Wednesday to delve into the challenges encountered during their Starliner spacecraft mission last year. The duo embarked on their journey aboard the Starliner on June 5, 2024. However, an unexpected turn of events led to the spacecraft’s uncrewed return to Earth on September 7. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams completed their mission and returned home on March 18 via the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Willing to Pilot Starliner Again

During a NASA post-flight news conference on March 31, both astronauts reflected on their nearly ten-month odyssey in space, addressing a series of questions while expressing their desire to once again fly aboard the Starliner. Wilmore and Williams took partial accountability for the mission's challenges, indicating a willingness to improve and learn from the experience.

Williams underscored the Starliner's substantial capabilities and her eagerness for the spacecraft to succeed in future missions. They emphasized the importance of rectifying the issues experienced, aiming to draw conclusions that will enhance the program's safety and efficiency. Wilmore candidly stated, “I’ll start with me. There were questions that I had as commander of the spacecraft that I should have asked and I did not… I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide.”

Both astronauts are keen to foster a culture of learning rather than blame as they reconvene with Boeing's team to discuss technical details. Wilmore noted that the six years they spent on the Starliner program endowed them with unique insights that could prove invaluable moving forward.

Progress in Starliner Certification

Moreover, NASA officials have confirmed that Boeing's President and CEO, Kelly Ortberg, is dedicated to overcoming Starliner’s operational hurdles. Despite the initial budget constraints — with Boeing having absorbed over $2 billion in costs since the program's inception in 2016 — the focus now shifts to certifying the CST-100 Starliner system following the challenges faced in the last mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Joint teams between NASA and Boeing are actively addressing technical issues and are gearing up for propulsion system testing in the coming months while coordinating efforts for Starliner’s next flight. However, NASA anticipates that Starliner may not be ready for another mission until later this year or early next year. Plans are in place for the next flight to be a crew-capable mission, though it remains uncertain if a crew will accompany the craft or if it will carry cargo only.

Williams expressed confidence in Starliner: “It is a great spacecraft and it has lots of capabilities that other spacecraft don’t have,” reinforcing her enthusiasm for the mission's potential.

An Extended Stay Among the Stars

Initially slated for an eight-day mission, Wilmore and Williams ended up spending a staggering 286 days in space, covering over 121 million miles and completing 4,576 orbits around the Earth as they worked on the ISS. Due to complications involving helium leaks and issues with Starliner’s reaction control thrusters, NASA wisely opted to bring the Starliner back to Earth without the crew onboard. The astronauts continued their mission alongside the next regular rotation crew, Crew 9, ensuring their expertise continues to contribute to NASA's objectives.

With their reunion with Boeing on the horizon, both astronauts are hopeful and optimistic about the future of the Starliner program. Will they face more challenges or find fruitful solutions? The space community eagerly awaits the outcomes of their discussions and what this means for the future of space travel. Stay tuned!