NASA officials are set to reveal the plan for the return of the crew from the Boeing Starliner rocket after a flight-readiness review on Saturday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will hold a live news conference at 1 p.m. EDT from the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The review will determine if astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams will return on the Starliner or on a SpaceX Dragon in February.
The Starliner, which launched on June 5, has been plagued with issues, including helium leaks and propulsion system problems, causing delays in its return. This has led to the postponement of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, as the docking port occupied by Starliner needs to be available for new missions.
If the Starliner cannot safely return with the crew, they may have to wait until February to return on the Dragon spacecraft. The astronauts have been spending their extended stay on the International Space Station performing scientific research and maintenance tasks alongside the Expedition 71 crew.
The news conference will be televised, livestreamed, and made widely public, featuring the NASA administrator. It will be available on NASA Television, NASA app, website, YouTube channel, and NASA+ streaming service. The outcome of the flight-readiness review will determine the next steps for the crew of the Boeing Starliner.
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