Author: Richard Tribou Orlando Sentinel

NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams encountered issues with Starliner propulsion module which delayed their return from the International Space Station. Boeing and NASA are assessing the risks to determine if it is safe for the astronauts to fly back in Starliner. Alternatives include bringing Wilmore and Williams home on a SpaceX mission. However, there is ongoing uncertainty about the exact problem and the decision is pending. If Starliner returns empty, SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission could follow, with the duo joining Expedition 72 until February. This setback adds to Starliner’s troubled development history and underscores SpaceX’s reliability in the U.S. space…