NASA to decide Sunita Williams' return to Earth on Saturday

NASA is set to make a crucial decision this Saturday regarding the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded in space since June 6.

The space agency will determine whether they will return to Earth aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft or SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

The duo's stay on the International Space Station (ISS), initially planned as an eight-day mission, has now extended to over two months due to various technical issues faced by the Starliner.

As the spacecraft approached the ISS, it encountered multiple problems, including the failure of several thrusters and helium leaks in the propulsion system. While engineers were able to reactivate four of the five malfunctioning thrusters (out of a total of 28), concerns remain about the spacecraft's ability to safely de-orbit and return to Earth.

Although Boeing has assured the safety of the Starliner, NASA officials remain cautious.

If the agency decides that the Starliner is not fit for the journey back, the spacecraft will undock from the ISS without crew. In that case, Williams and Wilmore would return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule, but this would not happen until February 2025, as NASA has delayed the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the ISS to September 24.

This situation follows a series of setbacks for Boeing's Starliner program.

The spacecraft's first uncrewed orbital flight mission in 2019 did not go as planned, with a successful mission finally completed in 2022. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Dragon capsules have been regularly launching astronauts to space since 2020, with around 12 successful flights to the ISS.

Boeing and SpaceX were both contracted by NASA in 2014 under the Commercial Crew Program to develop spacecraft for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Despite the challenges, Boeing has invested over $1.5 billion into its Starliner program, while NASA has provided approximately $4.2 billion in funding over the years.