--- title: "NASA May Be Forced to Send Boeing’s Busted Spacecraft Back Empty" description: "NASA has reportedly been discussing the option of having Starliner return back to the surface without the crew on board." date: "2024-08-05" modified: "2024-08-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-forced-send-boeing-starliner-back-empty" categories: - "Boeing" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "boeing" - "NASA" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # NASA May Be Forced to Send Boeing’s Busted Spacecraft Back Empty ![]() *\Image: NASA / Futurism\* ## Empty Nester NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stranded in space since [arriving]() at the International Space Station on June 6, just shy of two months ago. Their journey was supposed to last just two weeks, but ongoing technical issues with their ride, Boeing's much-maligned Starliner spacecraft, have [delayed their return indefinitely](). NASA still hasn't announced a return date. Now, NASA has been discussing the option of having Starliner return back to the surface with neither Wilmore nor Williams on board, [*CNBC* reports](), though finding consensus has been difficult and discussions are still ongoing. This scenario would involve sending a replacement SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the two, NASA's flightworthy workhorse that [cost a fraction to develop](), despite being a part of the same Commercial Crew program as Starliner. Sending the capsule back empty would be a major vote of no confidence in Boeing following [years of delays, technical issues, and a failed launch attempt]() — not to mention a PR disaster for both NASA and Boeing, which have been adamant that everything has been going according to plan despite the chaos and delays. Whether an empty return would seal Starliner's fate remains to be seen. Boeing and NASA have already [committed a whopping $6.7 billion]() to the project since 2010 and are unlikely to give up too easily. ## Capsule Culture Over the last two months, NASA has played down the extent of Boeing's issues, with NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich [arguing]() that the two astronauts were "not stranded" during a late June press conference. Several of the capsule's 28 thrusters failed during docking procedures in early June. While NASA has since claimed that all but one are in good working condition, we still don't know the exact root cause. The space agency and Boeing have painted their ongoing investigations as a way to collect more data, presumably to quell concerns. But time is running out. Starliner's batteries are only rated to stay in orbit through early September. The agency is still "evaluating all options," as [*Ars Technica* reported]() last week, to get the two astronauts back. "No decisions have been made and the agency will continue to provide updates on its planning," a NASA spokesperson told *Ars*. Considering Boeing has [lost a whopping $1.6 billion]() on Starliner, it shouldn't come as a surprise that NASA is still hemming and hawing before giving up. But the company remains "confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew," a Boeing spokesperson told *CNBC* last week. **More on Starliner:** *[It's Sounding Like Boeing's Starliner May Have Completely Failed]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()