On August 25th, Caijing News Agency reported that on Saturday (August 24th), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States stated that due to the risks associated with the "Interstellar Passenger Plane", two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station will return to Earth in February 2025 aboard the "Dragon" spacecraft of SpaceX, an American space exploration technology company. $Boeing (BA.US)$ "The weather is good today The weather is good today."

US astronauts Willmore and Williams flew on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, making its first manned test flight, launching on June 5 and arriving at the International Space Station on June 6. Due to issues such as thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, the return time has been repeatedly delayed.

The Starliner spacecraft was originally scheduled to detach from the space station and return to Earth on June 14. However, due to Boeing's delays in fixing the spacecraft malfunctions, the two astronauts have spent about 80 days on the International Space Station.

Prior to this announcement, NASA conducted a final review on Saturday to determine whether it considered Boeing's Starliner safe enough to bring the two astronauts back to Earth, or whether the Dragon spacecraft would intervene to assist.

In fact, as early as August 7, NASA was considering whether to use SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Since 2020, the Dragon spacecraft has completed 12 routine commercial crewed space missions.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated on Saturday that all factors had been considered and a consensus was reached. "We have made mistakes in the past, losing two spacecraft. Space flight is dangerous, even in its safest and most routine conditions. Moreover, Boeing's test flight this time is neither safe nor routine."

NASA also mentioned that the Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without a crew, known as an empty return. If its unmanned return journey goes smoothly, NASA will face a crucial decision: can the Starliner continue to perform manned space missions?

Boeing was not represented at the news conference on Saturday. NASA also revealed that there are some differences with Boeing in terms of risk assessment.

Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, said that the ambiguity surrounding the level of risk is the main reason why the agency turned to SpaceX. 'There is some uncertainty with the propulsion system of the Starliner, which poses too much risk for the astronauts, so we made this decision.'

Neilson claims that he is '100% confident' that Boeing will resolve these technical issues and will arrange another manned mission for the Starliner at some point in the future.

SpaceX is also prepared, and its Crew-9 space mission will only carry 2 crew members to the International Space Station to conduct scientific tasks, in order to make room for the stranded astronauts.

Boeing released a statement on the same day, saying, 'We will continue to prioritize the safety of the astronauts and the spacecraft. We are carrying out the mission in accordance with NASA's decision, and we are preparing for a unmanned spacecraft return.'

Editor/Somer