NASA is considering having astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew to the International Space Station on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon due to safety concerns with Starliner.

During an August 7 briefing, NASA officials indicated a decision will be made by mid-August.

If deemed too risky for the astronauts to return on Starliner, they would stay on the ISS while Starliner returns to Earth autonomously.

Williams and Wilmore would then return with the Crew-9 mission in early 2025. Concerns stem from the malfunctioning of Starliner’s reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, which could affect its return journey.

Tests revealed heating issues causing thruster performance problems, leading NASA to consult propulsion experts for further analysis, Space News has reported.

Boeing maintains confidence in Starliner’s safety, but NASA officials express varying levels of concern.

The final decision, involving a flight readiness review, may reach NASA’s top administrators.

Written by B.C. Begley