Astronauts To Wait for SpaceX Voyage Home

The Boeing (BA) Starliner will make its return trip to Earth without the two astronauts that flew aboard it to the International Space Station (ISS) in June, NASA said over the weekend.

The decision comes after NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and issues with the vessel’s control thrusters during the initial flight to the ISS. The choice to return uncrewed allows NASA to gather additional data on Starliner while not introducing additional risk for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who are now expected to return in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star.”

Starliner Is Latest Problem for Boeing This Year

The Starliner is just the latest thing to go wrong for Boeing in a troubled year that has included safety incidents, tense Congressional testimony, investigations from regulators and law enforcement, and a guilty plea for defrauding the federal government. Last month, ​​Boeing reported $16.87 billion in second-quarter revenue, down 15% year-over-year and below analysts’ expectations. 

Shares of Boeing edged lower to $142.23 as of 1:15 p.m. ET Monday. They have lost a third of their value year-to-date.