Astronauts stuck on Boeing Starliner 'indefinitely' as NASA issues return update

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stuck in space indefinitely as their return aboard Boeing 's troubled Starliner capsule has been delayed due to technical glitches .

The astronauts, who were meant to spend about a week at the International Space Station and come back to Earth in mid-June, are now waiting for engineers to resolve thruster failures and helium leaks that have plagued the spacecraft.

"We'll come home when we're ready," NASA 's commercial crew program manager Steve Stich stated, without committing to a specific return date. He emphasized the priority is to ensure a safe journey back for Wilmore and Williams aboard the Starliner.

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Stich admitted that alternative plans are being considered if the issues can't be fixed promptly.

In an effort to pinpoint the cause of the docking mishaps on June 6, one day after launch, engineers have completed tests on a replacement thruster in New Mexico and plan to dismantle it for a closer look. Although they've managed to reactivate four out of the five malfunctioning thrusters, the root cause seems to be faulty seals leading to helium leaks and thruster troubles, but further analysis is required.

Boeing 's Mark Nappi announced that additional thruster tests will take place this weekend while the capsule is attached to the ISS to collect more data.

Following the retirement of the space shuttles, NASA turned to private companies like Boeing and SpaceX, investing billions to secure astronaut transportation to the ISS. It was the first time a crew was aboard for a test flight by Boeing, with SpaceX having been transporting astronauts since 2020.