NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6.

New Delhi: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6. Now, 79 days later, their return to Earth is uncertain as NASA is considering several options that could delay their departure until February next year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is likely to make a final decision today (Saturday) on whether to bring the two astronauts to Earth aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft or SpaceX's Dragon capsule, the US space agency said. “NASA is expected to make a decision on whether to return Starliner to Earth with astronauts no later than August 24 (Saturday) following the conclusion of an agency-level review,” the space agency said.

Originally scheduled to return within a week, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may now face a stay of more than eight months due to significant problems with the Starliner spacecraft. The astronauts left for the Orbiting Laboratory on June 6 on a Boeing Starliner after taking off on June 5 from Space Launch Complex-41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA.

As the Starliner spacecraft approached the orbiting laboratory, its propulsion system encountered several technical problems, including multiple thrusters and a helium leak. Although engineers managed to bring four of the five malfunctioning thrusters back online—of the 28 thrusters on Starliner—there are still concerns about ensuring a successful de-orbit to Earth. Although Boeing has announced the Starliner's safety, NASA officials have not agreed, IANS reported. If the US space agency deems Starliner unfit for travel on Saturday, it will undock from the orbiting laboratory.

It is reported that Williams and Wilmore – the pair who became the first to pilot the much-delayed Starliner – are likely to return to the SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025, as NASA has delayed the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. ISS to September 24.

After several years of setbacks, Boeing began its first flight on June 5. Along with SpaceX, the company signed a 2014 contract with NASA's Commercial Crew Program for operational missions to and from the space station.

Earlier in 2019, its debut uncrewed orbital flight mission did not go as planned. Later, the mission was completed in 2022. SpaceX's Dragon capsules have been sending astronauts into space since 2020 on its Falcon 9 rocket. So far he has made about 12 flights to the space station. According to an IANS report, Boeing has poured $1.5 billion into its Starliner program, while NASA has given the aerospace giant around $4.2 billion over the years. Both Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Dragon were intended to carry astronauts and cargo for NASA missions into low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

(with IANS input)