President and COO of SpaceX Gwynne Shotwell posted about the events, saying, “SpaceX stands ready to support NASA however we can.”
Two NASA astronauts that have been stranded in space will be returned by Elon Musk's SpaceX instead of on the Boeing vehicle that brought them there. Boeing’s Starliner faced issues when it was parked at the International Space Station (ISS).
According to the Wall Street Journal, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the decision to reporters on Saturday. Astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain in orbit, parked at the ISS until next February, when the SpaceX craft is set to return with them on board.
President and COO of SpaceX Gwynne Shotwell posted about the events, saying, "SpaceX stands ready to support NASA however we can."'
In a briefing about deciding which ship to use, Ken Bowersox, a top space operations administrator for NASA, said, “We don’t just have to bring a crew back on Starliner.”
Boeing said on Wednesday, “If NASA decides to change the mission, we will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return."
Wilmore and Williams have been aboard the ISS since June 6 when they were the first to travel in Boeing's Starliner vehicle. However, the failure of several thrusters as well as other issues turned the visit to the ISS into an extended stay, per the WSJ.
Tensions bubbled up between officials at NASA and Boeing, debating on the readiness of Starliner to fly the astronauts back. NASA manager Steve Stich said, “The real disagreements are how much uncertainty they view in the data."
The mission was originally supposed to last for only eight days; however, it has turned into a months long stay with the two of them stranded on the ISS.
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