Watch live: NASA announces how crew of Boeing Starliner will come home

Watch live as NASA announces its decision on how it will return two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station. A press conference, led by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, is scheduled to begin no earlier than 1 p.m. EDT (1700 UTC).

The Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test launched on June 5 with the stated intention of lasting a little more than a week. However, thruster issues and helium leaks encountered during rendezvous and docking caused an extension of the mission as NASA and Boeing sought to better understand the anomalies before making a return trip.

Now, with the need to create space for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission on the ISS, NASA needs to make a decision on how to end the mission. Its goal was to create enough understanding around the Starliner's service module issues to feel comfortable bringing CFT Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and CFT Pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams back on Starliner. However, the backup option on the table would be to launch SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft with only two out of the original four members of the Crew-9 mission and have Butch and Suni return with them in February 2025.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the briefing, with pre- and post-news conference commentary and analysis from Spaceflight Now Reporter Will Robinson-Smith and Space Reporter for Ars Technica, Stephen Clark.

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[clifflayne]

Nasa is committed to Boeing and no matter the risk, the cost or the embarrassment.

[PaulSmith-tnyu]

This is like hospital administrators praising their doctors after almost killing a patient because of bad decisions and execution for managing to save the patients life in the end.

[clevergirl]

The contrast is damning: SpaceX is about to undertake its 14th crewed mission since making history in 2020. They’re launching the world’s first private spacewalk in just days.
Meanwhile, Boeing, once seen as the obvious reliable option for commercial crew… is having their first astronauts return on SpaceX.
Edit: Boeing needs to sort this Starliner fiasco out, we SHOULD have two dissimilar crewed spacecraft, not one single company doing everything.

[richardlighthill]

Good decision, NASA. Sadly, Boeing has not proven that it should be in the space commercial crew program. Two astronauts ought never to be guinea pigs for Boeing.

[regolith]

59:37 "Starliner is a robust vehicle... Starliner has performed exceptionally well overall..."
LOL this is just silly. The whole reason we're here is because Starliner is NOT robust and has NOT performed well. These kinds of statements don't help Boeing. They only damage the speaker's own credibility.

1:57:49 "Boeing has been a great partner for NASA over the years... as a matter of fact, the SLS rocket is overall managed by Boeing..."
Oof, that is not the confidence-inspiring statement Nelson intended.

[treborg]

No one mentioned the Atlas 5 limitation, that there are only a few more rockets left & Starliner can only launch on Atlas 5. How are Boeing & NASA going to work this? That might end up limiting the # of Boeing commercial crew missions.

[auraiaya]

whatever they decide they not risk their life. Did you ask astronauts what they thinking and how they like to back home?

[jimbo]

Remember Boeing is part of the reason the first 3 astronauts died in Apollo 1 fire. I said for years I wouldn't want to be the first in a Boeing.

[MsKtgrace]

I feel horrible, I had no idea this was happening. Now that I’m aware, I’ll be watching and supporting bringing home our brave safety.

[Tsynique]

4:19 he said "screwed". He's right

[RedPixel]

We are so proud of our incompetence at NASA & our partners! Go NASA! Go Boeing! Please go away!

[kennethgarland]

These Astronaughts need to come Home NOW❤

[andrewc]

They should have made this decision months ago. They could have been prepping to get them home in weeks rather than months.

[raulgaona]

Boeing should resolve ALL issues ON THEIR DIME. They should DELIVER on what they have been paid in TAX PAYER FUNDS. Is there too much fat in bringing this to fruition? Follow SpaceX's management, assembly and launch in ONE AREA. U.S. Congress must bite the bullet and realize that less states will be involved but our space program will have better and FASTER communication to meet our space goals.

[ypschwartzy]

Is it too hard to just state that Boeing dropped the phucking ball? Call a spade a spade instead of this side stepping bullshit…

[rova]

*The Painful Admission of Having to Resort to SpaceX for Help*

53:45

[HiltonT]

This is the result that 2 obvious just before docking occurred.

[Bluelightning]

Ask us veterans of our military what It's like to miss out on holidays during wartime or even bootcamp. The astronauts will be fine.

[arthurhamilton]

Nelson seems to be a bit ....angry.. with some of the questions. I think he needs a coffee break.😂😂😂

[arthurhamilton]

Here is my take on what NASA said.
1. Starliner is able to safely return the crew.
1. We have developed contingency procedures between the two vehicles. and want to test them out
3. Suni was to be commander of Starliner 1. So, I expect that NASA was going to extend her all along. So, they used this as an excuse, too.
4. They overloaded their press conferences with all of the top NASA political and operational brass to try to make the public believe otherwise.
4. They deliberately refused any Boeing Corp and AJR reps from the press conference because of the strong opposition from the Boeing team. contractors teams. NASA wanted to silence the opposition.
5. NASA couldn't resist the opportunity to do human extra long duration studies on two astronauts.
6. We will never get the truth from NASA.