The two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station after a malfunction in their Boeing spacecraft may remain there much longer than expected because of an incompatibility with their spacesuits.
NASA told Fox News Digital that while Boeing’s suits are made to work on its spacecraft, SpaceX’s suits are made to work on its Dragon spacecraft, which NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will likely be aboard on their return to Earth.
The two astronauts were scheduled to arrive aboard the Starliner on June 5 and only stay until mid-month.
Officials are discussing how to bring them home safely after helium leaks and propulsion problems were discovered.
NASA leaders give update on stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the Starliner before launch on June 5. (NASA/YouTube)
Russ DeLoach, NASA’s safety and mission assurance officer, said both astronauts are “very familiar” with the International Space Station, and the Starliner test flight marked each of their third missions to the ISS.
The commercialization of space means NASA is no longer as heavily involved in every aspect of missions and spacecraft design as it once was.
As a result, incompatibility with the spacesuits designed by SpaceX and Boeing reportedly caused problems for Wilmore and Williams’ return to Earth.
When and how will Boeing Starliner astronauts trapped in space return?
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft blasted off from Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Command Station for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test on June 5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The Boeing suit is made to work on the Starliner spacecraft, and the SpaceX suit is made to work on the Dragon spacecraft,” NASA told Fox News Digital. “Both were designed to fit their respective spacecraft.”
NASA has not confirmed whether the issue will affect the astronauts’ return.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Boeing about the matter.
NASA-Boeing Starliner launch was ‘spectacular’ and mission went according to plan through day two, astronauts say
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were flight crew members on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was recovering from a series of problems. (NASA)
On Saturday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other NASA leaders will hold an internal flight readiness review of the Boeing crewed test. During the review, NASA said it would “raise and reconcile any formal objections.”
Following the test, NASA will hold a live press conference from the Johnson Space Center in Houston at 1 p.m.
A decision to return the Starliner spacecraft to Earth with the astronauts is expected to be made as early as Saturday.
If the decision is made to return Starliner to Earth uncrewed, Wilmore and Williams would remain on the space station until late February 2025, according to NASA’s website.
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NASA will then send just two crew members instead of four to the space station in September on SpaceX’s Crew 9 mission, with Wilmore and Williams planning to return to Earth with the other two crew members early next year.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lewis contributed to this report.
