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Starliner spacecraft launched in June carrying Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore (File)
Washington, USA:
Astronauts sent to the International Space Station by Boeing’s Starliner could return to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025 if the Starliner’s return to Earth is still deemed unsafe, NASA said Wednesday.
The Starliner spacecraft launched in June requires a high-stakes test mission carrying two astronauts to the ISS before NASA can certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut flights.
But the mission, initially expected to last about eight days, has been stretched too long due to an array of problems with the craft’s propulsion system that Boeing and NASA are trying to fix.
These problems have called into question the Starliner’s ability to return its crew, veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, safely back to Earth. NASA is evaluating whether the Crew Dragon capsule will bring them home instead.
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