NASA announced Saturday it would turn to SpaceX to bring home two astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station since early June after their Boeing-built ride experienced multiple mid-flight problems. 

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in February.

Boeing’s Starliner launched on June 5 following numerous delays. When it finally made it to the International Space Station, 28 thrusters went out, causing docking difficulties. There was also a laundry list of other malfunctions that included helium leaks.

The announcement to abandon Boeing comes after months of tension within the space agency over how to safely bring the two astronauts back. 

“Spaceflight is risky — even at its safest and even at its most routine — and a test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine, and so the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is a result of a commitment to safety,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a news briefing.

NASA’s decision is a deep cut for Boeing, which had hoped its Starliner test mission would redeem its troubled program. 

Even before the Wilmore and Williams incident, Starliner had come under intense scrutiny. The program was more than $1.5 billion over budget, years behind in deadlines, and has struggled to keep up with rival SpaceX. 

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said that while Boeing officials expressed confidence in their spacecraft, the decision to go with SpaceX was unanimous.

“There was just too much uncertainty in the prediction of the thrusters,” Stich said. “If we had a model, [if] we had a way to accurately predict what the thrusters would do for the undock and all the way through the de-orbit burn, through the separation sequence, I think we would have taken a different course of action.”

Norman Knight, the chief of NASA’s flight director office, said he had talked to Wilmore and Williams. 

“They support the agency’s decision fully, and they’re ready to continue this mission onboard I.S.S.,” Knight said.

Following the announcement, Boeing said it would “continue to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft.” 

“We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return,” the company added in its statement. 

Nelson told reporters in Houston that Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, said he “expressed to me an intention that they will continue to work the problems once Starliner is back safely.” 

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Starliner will undock from the International Space Station and return to Earth next month without anyone aboard. 

The next launch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon will take place after Sept. 24.