Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring astronauts sent on Boeing Starliner

Update 2:33 PM EST: Adds Boeing’s (NYSE:BA) response

NASA on Saturday decided that astronauts sent to orbit through Boeing’s (BA) Starliner spacecraft should remain at the International Space Station (ISS) until next year before getting a ride back home with SpaceX (SPACE), the space exploration company led by Elon Musk.

The decision comes as Boeing (BA) and NASA grapple with what to do with their return journey amid safety concerns over the Starliner capsule.

Instead of the usual four, SpaceX (SPACE) will send two astronauts for a routine six-month journey in late September to accommodate Boeing’s (BA) test pilots.

The aircraft maker launched its first two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, into space in June for what could have been a weeklong test flight for the duo.

The liftoff atop the Atlas 5 rocket, built by its joint venture with Lockheed Martin (LMT), took place after numerous development hangups and test flight delays.

The potential return with SpaceX (SPACE) means Wilmore and Williams will have to remain on the ISS until late February, spending about eight months in total in orbit.

Meanwhile, the empty Starliner capsule is expected to undock from the ISS in a week or two, and begin its return home on autopilot.

In a post on X, Boeing (BA) said that the decision on the uncrewed mission took place during a flight readiness review with NASA. “We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return,” the company said.