NASA's Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore barred from wearing Starliner suits in SpaceX's Dragon: Here’s why

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are facing an unexpected hurdle as Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft, now departing the ISS without its crew, leaves them stranded. Initially slated to bring them home in custom Starliner spacesuits, the troubled capsule has been grounded due to issues with its propulsion system.

The astronauts will now rely on SpaceX's Crew Dragon as an emergency vehicle, that is the plan. However, NASA's commercial crew manager Steve Stich revealed that the Starliner suits are incompatible with the Crew Dragon.

NASA astronauts can’t wear Starliner suits in SpaceX's Dragon

Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to depart the International Space Station (ISS) empty on Friday, returning to Earth without astronauts after NASA deemed the risks too great. To ensure the safety of astronauts aboard the ISS, NASA has designated a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that recently flew the Crew-8 mission as an emergency evacuation vehicle.

This spacecraft will reportedly remain docked at the ISS for several weeks, providing a lifeline for astronauts Williams and Wilmore in case of an emergency. However, as per Stich who spoke to the reporters via teleconferencing, the suits that these astronauts are wearing are “not compatible” with SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. "So in a temporary situation, we would not have suits for Butch and Suni on Dragon," he explained as per Space.com

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For those unversed, both Boeing’s Starliner and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, both run by big companies, are in charge of taking American astronauts to the ISS. Each company has its own unique space shuttle and spacesuit designs to fit their specific needs.

How will Space X rescue Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore?

Originally planned as a 7-day mission, NASA veterans Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded on the ISS for months and will remain there until February 2025, when NASA plans their return.

Crew-8 has four astronauts, each wearing their own spacesuit —NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. If there's an emergency, Williams and Wilmore would be sent back to Earth on the cargo pallet below the Crew Dragon's seats next to the Crew-8 astronauts.

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However, Crew-8's role as a backup will not last long. SpaceX's Crew-9 mission will launch earlier than planned to accommodate Williams and Wilmore. Crew-9 will carry only two astronauts to make room for the stranded astronauts. A spacesuit will be sent to the ISS for Wilmore, while Williams can use a SpaceX suit already on board according to Stich.

"We do have one suit on orbit right now that fits Suni, and she's tried that suit on, and it fits well. That's a SpaceX suit," Stich continued. "When we [NASA] set up the contract, we let each of the contractors to find their own suits and their own interface, and then we're sending up a suit for Butch that will fly up on Crew-9.

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