NASA still hasn't decided the best way to get the Starliner crew home: 'We've got time'

• The U.S. space agency is also still considering having Wilmore and Williams instead return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which would extend their stay at the space station into February.
• Engineers are collecting and analyzing data ahead of another flight readiness review, which rarely happens mid-mission.

The fate of the Boeing Starliner crew still remains uncertain as NASA and Boeing continue to work toward a plan to get the two astronauts home more than two months after they docked at the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams were only meant to spend little more than a week in orbit in June before riding the Starliner capsule down to Earth in a parachute-assisted landing. But as the weeks tick by, officials with NASA and Boeing still have not figured out the best way to get the pair back on the ground.

In a Wednesday news conference, NASA officials said mission operators continue to evaluate whether the Starliner is capable of safely making the return trip. The U.S. space agency is also still considering having Wilmore and Williams instead return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which would extend their stay at the space station into February.

That determination is expected to come toward the end of August, NASA officials said.

"It's a fairly major discussion to decide about whether or not we're going to have crew on board for a Starliner return," Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said Wednesday. "We've got time available before we bring Starliner home, and we want to use that time wisely."

Boeing Starliner timeline:2 months after Starliner launched, astronauts still haven’t returned

NASA officials prep for another flight readiness review

The Starliner capsule – built with the intention of running crews and deliveries regularly to the station on behalf of NASA – is still the preferred transportation for Wilmore and Williams when they eventually make the return journey.

However, NASA and Boeing have contingency plans in place to ensure the veteran astronauts – both of whom have been to space twice before – get home one way or another.

The beleaguered Starliner was besieged with troubles even before it finally managed to launch June 5 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its inaugural crewed test flight. Once Wilmore and Williams made it to the International Space Station the next day, engineers discovered a slew of helium leaks and problems with the craft's propulsion system that have hampered Starliner's return to Earth.

The mounting delays have prompted questions of whether Starliner is capable of safely returning the NASA astronauts at all, despite Boeing's insistence that it is. The aerospace company has not issued an update on the mission since Aug. 2.

Flight readiness reviews are required before every NASA mission is able to commence. In special circumstances, NASA scientists may need to revisit that review process mid-mission, Bowersox said Wednesday.

That's what's happening now as flight engineers collect and analyze Starliner data. Bowersox expects the data analysis could be completed by the end of next week before another flight readiness review takes place in the week thereafter.

"Right now, Butch and Suni are well-engaged on the International Space Station," Bowersox said. "I know that they're making the best of this time, but I'm sure they're eager for a decision just like the rest of us."

SpaceX Crew-9 previously delayed

Amid the scramble to come to a decision on Starliner, the U.S. space agency previously made the call to postpone the launch of SpaceX Crew-9.

That mission had been slated to take off as soon as Sunday for the space station in a routine flight to replace the Crew-8 mission that's been aboard the International Space Station since March. But because the four Crew-9 members cannot arrive at the station until the docking port occupied by Starliner is available, that mission won't happen any sooner than Sept. 24, NASA has said.

To stave off any more delays, Starliner will have to undock by then with or without a crew. Whether four astronauts or two astronauts head up to the International Space Station for the six-month Crew-9 rotation depends on whether Wilmore and Williams are on board Starliner when it departs.

In the event that Starliner leaves empty, Wilmore and Williams would need to have room to hitch a ride home on Feb. 25 on the Dragon once the Crew-9 team completes its shift.

What happened with the Boeing Starliner?

After several delays over the course of about a month, the Boeing Starliner finally launched June 5 atop an Atlas V rocket.

The mission marked the first crewed demonstration of the spacecraft, which is intended to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX to make routine trips to space on behalf of NASA. The partnership marks a shift in recent years for the U.S. space agency, which has pivoted to paying private companies for missions it once would carry out itself as a way to cut costs.

Certifying the Starliner for such missions would provide NASA with a second operational spacecraft to carry astronauts and cargo to the space station after it shelled out billions of dollars to both Boeing and SpaceX to develop the vehicles.

But Boeing has lagged behind SpaceX, which has already begun reliably transporting astronauts and supplies since 2020 to the space station aboard its Dragon. Hopes were high that a successful Starliner launch – its first demonstration with a crew aboard – would get Boeing on track.

It remains to be seen whether Starliner could still be certified for crewed rotation missions if the capsule returns without its crew.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com