A SpaceX capsule is coming back to Earth. Here's why Boeing Starliner's astronauts aren't on it - RocketNews


A SpaceX capsule is coming back to Earth. Here's why Boeing Starliner's astronauts aren't on it - RocketNews

The two test pilots for the inaugural crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft -- NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore -- left Earth for the International Space Station under the impression their trip would last only about one week.Months later, after determining that the technical issues the Starliner experienced on the first leg of their journey posed too much of a risk, NASA decided to return Williams and Wilmore home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.But that did not mean the astronauts would get the first flight back to Earth.A SpaceX Crew Dragon, on a mission dubbed Crew-8, left the International Space Station on Wednesday, but Williams and Wilmore will once again be left behind for the simple reason that they are not assigned to that specific spacecraft.Notably, the four astronauts that are assigned to Crew-8's mission -- NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps as well as Alexander Grebenkin of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos -- have been on the ISS since March 5, roughly three months longer than Williams and Wilmore.That's because the Crew-8 team is part of a regular crew rotation at the orbiting laboratory, and routine missions typically last about six months.The team disembarked from the ISS Wednesday afternoon and is heading for a ...

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