Astronauts still stuck on Boeing’s Starliner, as engineers scramble to fix issues

Boeing Starliner's planned one-week stay at the ISS has been extended considerably as engineers scramble to fix its issues and get it safely get it back to Earth.

Another week, another Boeing Starliner delay.

NASA and Boeing have announced, for the third time, they are again delaying the return of the Starliner from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth. It marks another blow for the vessel, which has been hampered by technical issues.

And, now, veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are facing an uncertain return date. The space agency initially projected their mission would last anywhere from eight to 10 days, but now it’s going to last at least 20.

This week, NASA announced that Williams and Wilmore will return no earlier than June 26, as teams of engineers on Earth scramble to sort out all the issues that have plagued the vessel since launch.

Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, told a news conference Tuesday that his team “really want to work through the remainder of the data,” but sees no reason why the Starliner won’t be able to bring the astronauts back home.

Williams and Wilmore were launched aboard Starliner June 5 and arrived at the ISS following a 24-hour flight in which the spacecraft encountered four helium leaks and five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters.

It’s the Starliner’s first flight with a crew and the crucial last test in a much-delayed and over-budget program before NASA can certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut missions. If approved, it will be added as a second U.S. crew vehicle in the fleet, operating alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.