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Cailianshe News, August 3 (Editor: Niu Zhanlin)As the problem of Boeing's "Starliner" has not been resolved for a long time, NASA has launched a heated discussion this week whether to let the two astronauts return on the problematic Starliner or choose SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

People familiar with the matter claim that NASA is full of concerns about the Starliner because they have not found the root cause of the failure of the spacecraft's thrusters during the docking process, and of course there is no question of repairing the problem.

On June 5, Boeing's manned spacecraft Starliner launched with two American astronauts and docked with the International Space Station on June 6. The Starliner was originally scheduled to separate from the space station and return to Earth on June 14, but due to problems such as thruster failure and helium leakage, the return time has been repeatedly postponed.

Last week, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that after weeks of troubleshooting and testing, great progress was being made, but that a return date was not yet ready to be announced.

Stich admitted that if the Boeing spacecraft failure cannot be repaired, NASA also has a backup plan, which is to let SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft pick up the trapped astronauts.

Boeing believes that aging or damage to the seals made of Teflon may be the cause of the helium leak and thruster failure, but more analysis is needed. In short, after a series of tests, the real cause of the failure is still unknown, and the risk of more thruster failures still exists.

While NASA and Boeing leadership have said publicly that the delay was to collect data and identify the cause of the failure, concerns raised in recent days suggest that internal confidence in the Starliner's ability to safely return astronauts is not as high as has been disclosed.

As a result, NASA has begun discussions with Boeing about alternative options, but it's a difficult call, and those responsible for making the decision haven't yet reached a consensus, given the various factors involved.

Tough Choices

Ars Technica, a well-known American technology media, reported that although the Dragon spacecraft is a backup plan, NASA and Boeing are trying their best to downplay this possibility. They called Boeing's spacecraft the "main option" for returning to Earth.

Boeing said it has the "flight case" to return astronauts aboard Starliner, meaning the company believes the spacecraft can return to Earth without too much risk.

A Boeing spokesperson claimed on Friday: "We remain confident in the Starliner vehicle and its ability to return safely with the crew, and we are working with NASA to provide more data and conduct more in-depth analysis to verify the vehicle's performance in terms of undocking and landing safely at the space station."

It is reported that if an alternative option is chosen, the most likely scenario is that SpaceX's Crew-9 mission will only carry two astronauts to leave room for the stranded astronauts.

NASA frequently emphasizes that "astronaut safety remains the top priority" when making decisions about human spaceflight, an inherently risky endeavor.

But choosing the backup plan could mean the end of the Starliner program, which has lost more than $1.5 billion due to constant setbacks and years of delays. Termination of the project would result in billions of dollars of investment going down the drain.

If NASA supports Boeing and chooses to let the astronauts return on the interstellar airliner, the agency will bear risks that cannot be quantified at present. If a major failure occurs during the return flight and the astronauts' lives are threatened, both NASA leadership and Boeing will need to bear responsibility for the accident.