Sunita Williams’ return uncertain: NASA flags ’spacesuit’ problem in ’risky’ mission, says our big concern is...

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are awaiting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) decision on Starliner's return to Earth. NASA is yet to make a decision on a range of issues — the date of the Starliner astronauts' return from space, whether to fly back the Boeing spacecraft uncrewed, or whether to return the two astronauts aboard Starliner or a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

In their latest update on Being Starliner, Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate said, “We're reaching a point where that last week in August we really should be making a call, if not sooner.”

Bowersox explained, "Everybody will like a date, but we got some working dates, but I know we need to maintain that flexibility...right now, Butch and Sunny are well engaged on board the ISS...I know that they are making the best of the time, but I am sure they are eager for a decision just like the rest of us, and when we have that, we will be sure to get together with the rest of you and share that information."

Starliner saga

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched aboard the Starliner on June 5. They reached the International Space Station on June 6. They were scheduled to return to Earth by mid-June. However, their plans were derailed after the Starliner capsule was detected with several issues: problems in the propulsion system, helium leaks, and thruster malfunction. The Starliner has now spent over two months in space.

The Starliner crew and authorities on the ground are working around the corner to detect the root cause of the problem and safely return the two NASA astronauts to Earth. Their priority is to bring back Sunita and Butch on Starliner. However, NASA officials are weighing the option of using SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the return mission if the Starliner is not healthy enough.

'Risky' human spacecraft missions

Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said astronauts prepared for every possibility before their human spaceflight. He said, "Butch and Suni [Sunita Williams] said ahead of their launch that they know that this mission might not be perfect. Human spaceflights are inherently risky, and as astronauts, we accept that."

Sunita Williams wait gets longer

Montalbano said if Butch and Sunita do not come home on Starliner, and they are kept aboard the station, "they will have about eight months in orbit." If the two astronauts come on SpaceX craft, they will return to Earth by February 2025.

In the event a decision is made not to use Starliner, Boeing's rival SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, could potentially launch the NASA's scheduled Crew-9 mission to the ISS on September 24 with just two astronauts rather than the usual four. The Crew Dragon capsule would then be able to return to Earth with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.

'Not a NASA mishap'

Officials said on Wednesday that if NASA makes the call to change the mission that the crew would ride home on something other than the Starliner "...we don't necessarily need to consider that a NASA mishap."

He said the mishap could still occur later if, for some reason, there are some events that happen when Starliner crude home. "But just that fact that if NASA steps in and says, 'Hey, we now want our crew to fly home on another vehicle', that in itself should be classified as a mishap."

‘Our big concern is...’

NASA officials went on to say, "Our big concern is having a successful deorbit burn and making...the propulsion system work just the way it needs to all the way through the deorbit burn and that's why we are looking so closely at the thruster jets and even thinking about how the largest thrusters work..."

Starliner's propulsion system is part of the spacecraft's "service module". The problems centre on this system, which is needed to back the Starliner capsule away from the ISS and position it to dive through Earth's atmosphere. Many of Starliner's thrusters had overheated when fired, and the leaks of helium – used to pressurise the thrusters – appear to be connected to how frequently they are used.

Spacesuit problem: 'They could come home unsuited...'

Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator at NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, said the two astronauts could return unsuited in Crew-8 in the event of an emergency. He added that extra SpaceX flight suits would be flown up on the Crew-9 Dragon for their scheduled trip home.

During the media interaction, officials were asked if the Starliner would come back uncrewed and if there was any specific equipment, in particular, the SpaceX flight suits sent up on the recent "signis flight" for Butch and Sunita.

In the reply, the official said, "From a suits standpoint, they are really not interchangeable. You can't have a Boeing suit in Space X or a SpaceX suit in a Boeing vehicle, so that would not be the plan. If the Starliner undocks and there's only Dragon, they could come home unsuited in the Dragon..."

"Once Crew-9 gets there we'll have suits," said Joel Montalbano, adding, "They would come home suited on Crew-9."