‘Probably can’t come back...’: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams recalls chilling Starliner malfunction
After launching toward the ISS on June 7, 2024, the astronauts expected to spend only eight days in orbit. Instead, they returned nine months later, on March 19, aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
- Apr 5, 2025,
- Updated Apr 5, 2025 6:34 PM IST
As it soared toward the International Space Station (ISS) last summer, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft lost four of its 28 thrusters. NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore had to take manual control. But the more he tried to steer, the more control slipped from his hands.
The station was right there — close enough to see — but without functioning thrusters, even that short distance seemed impossible. Already, the cascade of failures had broken flight rules. Wilmore and fellow astronaut Sunita Williams were drifting, off-course, and running out of time.
In a recent interview with Ars Technica, Wilmore and Williams opened up about just how dire the situation aboard Starliner had become.
After launching toward the ISS on June 7, 2024, the astronauts expected to spend only eight days in orbit. Instead, they returned nine months later, on March 19, aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Wilmore recounted the moment things went wrong just before docking. "I don't know that we can come back to Earth at that point. I don't know if we can. And matter of fact, I'm thinking we probably can't," he told Ars Technica.
The spacecraft lost four critical reaction control thrusters while above the ISS. “The space station is nose down. So we’re not exactly level with the station, but below it. If you’re below the station, you’re moving faster. That’s orbital mechanics,” Wilmore explained. “It’s going to make you move away from the station.”
As Starliner began drifting, the team at NASA advised the astronauts to release the controls to allow engineers on the ground to reset the thrusters.
"Imagine that. You're drifting away from the space station, trying to maintain your position," Williams said. "The station is your only real lifeline… and now you're being told to take your hands off the controls."
“Letting go of the controls was not easy to do,” Wilmore added.
The move paid off. Three of the four failed thrusters came back online, and Starliner successfully docked. Williams recalled her relief: “I was super happy,” she said, adding that she danced as she greeted fellow astronauts aboard the ISS.
Despite the near-catastrophe, Wilmore said he'd still board Starliner again “in a heartbeat,” confident that engineers are working to fix its flaws.
Before liftoff, the mission had already faced several setbacks. A faulty valve in the Atlas V rocket’s upper stage and a helium leak inside Starliner delayed the launch. In early May, Wilmore even returned to Houston for extra time in the simulator as the team worked through technical snags.
Finally, on June 5, 2024, Starliner’s Crew Flight Test launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It marked the first human mission atop the Atlas V rocket, powered by its newly upgraded Centaur upper stage with dual engines.
As it soared toward the International Space Station (ISS) last summer, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft lost four of its 28 thrusters. NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore had to take manual control. But the more he tried to steer, the more control slipped from his hands.
The station was right there — close enough to see — but without functioning thrusters, even that short distance seemed impossible. Already, the cascade of failures had broken flight rules. Wilmore and fellow astronaut Sunita Williams were drifting, off-course, and running out of time.
In a recent interview with Ars Technica, Wilmore and Williams opened up about just how dire the situation aboard Starliner had become.
After launching toward the ISS on June 7, 2024, the astronauts expected to spend only eight days in orbit. Instead, they returned nine months later, on March 19, aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Wilmore recounted the moment things went wrong just before docking. "I don't know that we can come back to Earth at that point. I don't know if we can. And matter of fact, I'm thinking we probably can't," he told Ars Technica.
The spacecraft lost four critical reaction control thrusters while above the ISS. “The space station is nose down. So we’re not exactly level with the station, but below it. If you’re below the station, you’re moving faster. That’s orbital mechanics,” Wilmore explained. “It’s going to make you move away from the station.”
As Starliner began drifting, the team at NASA advised the astronauts to release the controls to allow engineers on the ground to reset the thrusters.
"Imagine that. You're drifting away from the space station, trying to maintain your position," Williams said. "The station is your only real lifeline… and now you're being told to take your hands off the controls."
“Letting go of the controls was not easy to do,” Wilmore added.
The move paid off. Three of the four failed thrusters came back online, and Starliner successfully docked. Williams recalled her relief: “I was super happy,” she said, adding that she danced as she greeted fellow astronauts aboard the ISS.
Despite the near-catastrophe, Wilmore said he'd still board Starliner again “in a heartbeat,” confident that engineers are working to fix its flaws.
Before liftoff, the mission had already faced several setbacks. A faulty valve in the Atlas V rocket’s upper stage and a helium leak inside Starliner delayed the launch. In early May, Wilmore even returned to Houston for extra time in the simulator as the team worked through technical snags.
Finally, on June 5, 2024, Starliner’s Crew Flight Test launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It marked the first human mission atop the Atlas V rocket, powered by its newly upgraded Centaur upper stage with dual engines.