NASA is evaluating the risks involved in returning astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth. Their ride, Boeing’s Starliner, has been plagued with technical issues, forcing NASA to come up with contingency plans. Despite being ready for an emergency return, even alternative rideshare options pose considerable risks.
One major concern is the incompatibility of Starliner’s spacesuits with those used on board SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. This means that if Williams and Wilmore were to return on board the Crew-8 spacecraft, they would have to fly without wearing a suit. NASA confirmed this during a recent teleconference call.
The reason for the incompatibility lies in the nature of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which funded the development of both Starliner and Crew Dragon. Under this program, private partners like Boeing and SpaceX were allowed to design and innovate as long as they met NASA’s requirements and safety standards.
However, NASA did not specify that the spacesuits needed to be cross-compatible. This means that the suits chosen by Boeing and SpaceX are vastly different in design, making it impossible to simply swap one for the other.
NASA has an alternative option: SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-9 mission, which could be launched with just two crew members, making space for Williams and Wilmore. In this case, NASA could send up spare suits for both astronauts, making the return process more convenient.
Regardless of whether Williams and Wilmore return on board the Crew-8 spacecraft or on the next SpaceX ride, ditching Boeing’s plagued Starliner will still sting. The aerospace giant and NASA have committed billions of dollars to the capsule’s development, so having it return without any passengers would be a major vote of no confidence.
Source: https://futurism.com/stranded-astronauts-spacex-boeing-spacesuits-incompatible