Starliner setbacks force NASA to rely on SpaceX for crew return

NASA has confirmed that astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will return to Earth via SpaceX's Crew-9 mission in February, after spending over 80 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The decision comes after thruster, valve and helium issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft which forced NASA to rethink its original plans. The two astronauts were scheduled for a brief eight-day stay on the ISS, following the successful launch of Starliner on June 5. The spacecraft encountered problems during its docking with the ISS.

Investigations at NASA's White Sands Test Facility suggested that deformed Teflon seals might have caused the spacecraft's thruster failures. Despite these findings, conclusive answers were not possible due to limited access to the spacecraft docked with the ISS. The Crew-9 mission, which is scheduled to launch in late September, will return Williams and Wilmore in February.