The astronauts will be brought home by a spacecraft from competitor Space X. Bringing them home with Boeing’s new, troubled Starliner capsule is considered too risky.
NASA has decided that Butch and Suni will return with Crew-9 in February, and that Starliner will return unmanned, says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
It has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one, he adds, referring to security.
The announcement is considered a major setback for Boeing.
During the journey, the Starliner was affected by, among other things, a helium leak and problems with the fuel supply. In addition, five cruise missiles stopped working.
The launch of the Starliner spacecraft has been postponed several times, but was finally able to be carried out on June 5 this year. According to the original plan, the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, would remain on the ISS for just over a week.