Boeing Starliner Could Brick ISS Docking Port If Crew Abandons It

NASA is facing challenges with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which is currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS). The agency is considering bringing astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth using a SpaceX Crew Dragon, while returning the Starliner empty. However, Boeing has removed the autonomous undocking feature from the Starliner's software, raising concerns that a proposed software update could render the ISS docking port inoperable. This situation has delayed NASA's decision on the Starliner's return and has also affected the launch schedule for the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which may be postponed from August to September. The current flight software on the Starliner is unable to perform automated undocking and re-entry, despite previous successful tests demonstrating this capability. NASA is cautious about any updates that could jeopardize the functionality of the ISS docking ports, especially since the cause of recent thruster failures on the Starliner remains unidentified.

- NASA is considering using SpaceX Crew Dragon to return astronauts from the ISS instead of the Starliner.

- Boeing's removal of the autonomous undocking feature has raised concerns about the Starliner's software update.

- The ISS docking port could become inoperable if the software update fails.

- The launch of SpaceX Crew-9 may be delayed due to the Starliner situation.

- The root cause of the Starliner's thruster failures is still unknown.