A Safe Landing, But Questions Remain
NASA's recent decision to bring back the faulty Boeing Starliner spacecraft uncrewed, despite the possibility of a safe return for the two astronauts onboard, has raised questions about the agency's priorities. While the landing in Mexico was successful, the decision to leave Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on the International Space Station has sparked debate.
During a press conference, NASA acknowledged that the astronauts could have safely returned to Earth in the Starliner capsule. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, stated, "If we had a crew on board the spacecraft, we would have followed the same procedure... It would have resulted in a safe and successful landing with the crew."
However, NASA had previously justified leaving the astronauts behind due to concerns about thruster failures and helium leaks. They emphasized the inherent risks of spaceflight and their commitment to safety.
When questioned about potential second thoughts, Stich acknowledged the challenge of hindsight. He explained that the decision was based on the information available at the time, including limited understanding of the thruster issues. He maintained that the uncrewed test flight was the right choice due to the lack of full confidence in the thruster performance.
Despite the successful landing, the decision to leave Williams and Wilmore behind has left some wondering if NASA prioritized caution over the opportunity to gather valuable data with a crewed mission. The astronauts themselves will address the situation in a live stream from the International Space Station on September 13th.