NASA says it's getting closer to deciding if two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station can come home soon or if they'll have to wait until February.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore should know by next week whether to pack their bags to come home or settle in for a few more weightless months in space.
The pair have been floating in zero gravity since June when they arrived at the International Space Station for what was scheduled to be a roughly one-week stay.
RELATED STORY | NASA says no return date yet for astronauts and troubled Boeing capsule at space station
But their visit has already stretched more than two months. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft sprang multiple helium leaks and encountered engine thruster failures. NASA has been trying to figure out if Starliner is safe for them to fly home.
"We're trying to make sure that we fully understand the unknown before we make a final decision. And luckily, the Space Station provides us the capability to take our time and understand that as best as we can," said Emily Nelson, chief flight director of NASA's flight operations.
If Starliner can't complete the mission, NASA will turn to a SpaceX capsule to bring the astronauts home. But that would push back their return to February — eight months after they launched.
NASA says they don't want to rush the decision and says they're mindful of past failures in the agency's safety culture that led to tragedies, like the loss of the Columbia and Challenger astronauts.
"If you look at both, unfortunately, Challenger and Columbia, you know there you can see cases where people had the right data or a valid position to put forward, but the environment just didn't allow it," said Russ DeLoach, chief of NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.
NASA says whatever decision is made, Williams and Wilmore are happy to have extra time in space — even if the mission is a lot longer than anyone expected.
