NASA gives update on efforts to bring home stranded astronauts who were supposed to spend just 8 days in space

NASA leaders said they are still trying to bringing home two astronauts who are stranded on the International Space Station — and should know this week whether their leaky, malfunctioning Boeing spacecraft is safe enough to ride home.

In a teleconference with reporters, officials said that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are “doing great” and keeping busy on the ISS — and that they hope to have more answers by the end of next week.

Williams and Wilmore piloted the maiden crewed voyage of the Starliner, a new Boeing spacecraft.

They arrived at the ISS on June 5 and were only supposed to spend eight days before returning to Earth.

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But the Starliner developed helium leaks and propulsion problems, leading to serious questions about its viability as it returns to terra firma.

NASA has been performing several tests to see if it will be safe for Williams and Whitmore to pilot the craft.

They have remained in space for two extra months — and there is a possibility that they will not return to earth until early 2025.

In Wednesday’s teleconference, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox suggested a difference of opinion between the space agency and Boeing.

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“We’ve had very honest discussions with each other, and I am not surprised the Boeing team are 100% behind their vehicle,” Bowersox said.

“But I can also tell you that they want to work with us in a partnership, which the NASA team thinks is important. When we get to a decision, we will work through it together.”

One previously-discussed option was sending the astronauts home on Elon Musk’s SpaceX CrewDragon spacecraft as part of the NASA SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

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That craft is set to take off in September with two empty seats and then dock with the ISS.

Wilmore and Williams could return home on the craft in February 2025.

It would be a blow to Boeing for the astronauts to be rescued by Space X , their most prominent rival in the space exploration industry.

Authorities said on Wednesday that the option is “still on the table.”

If the astronauts return on Space X, officials say they will most likely have Starliner undock from the space station and return unmanned to earth.

Boeing did not comment during the NASA teleconference. There will be another briefing at the end of the week.

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