Boeing Starliner Astronauts Have Been in Space for Over 60 Days – and Might Not Return Home Until 2025

NASA and Boeing may seek the assistance of Elon Musk’s Space X to bring two astronauts home, with the decision coming in weeks

NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams may be stranded in space aboard the Boeing Starliner until 2025 due to ongoing delays, officials have announced.

On Wednesday, Aug. 7, the agency held a news conference, giving an update on the two astronauts have been in outer space for 63 days — approximately seven weeks longer than expected — following their June 5 launch.

The initial trip from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Florida’s Space Coast was supposed to last no more than eight days, the New York Times said on Wednesday.

NASA and Boeing are currently discussing whether the spacecraft is safe enough to return to Earth, or if they will need to seek assistance from rival Elon Musk by using SpaceX to retrieve and bring Wilmore and Williams home, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported.

The final decision is expected to be made by “mid August,” per the WSJ.

“I would say that our chances of an uncrewed Starliner return have increased a little bit based on where things have gone over the last week or two,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, according to CNN.

His comment referenced NASA’s need to complete an internal review before the agency can set a return date for Starliner.

“But again, new data coming in, new analysis, different discussion — we could find ourselves shift in another way.”

“We could take either path. And reasonable people could pick either path,” Bowersox continued.

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Per CNN, as of Tuesday, Aug. 6, NASA had not yet begun its “flight readiness review,” which would allow the Starliner crew to return from the International Space Station.

During the news conference, Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, said “uncertainty around the thrusters” were one of the concerns currently delaying the return of the two astronauts.

However, ahead of Wednesday’s briefing, on Aug. 2 the company said, “Boeing remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew. We continue to support NASA’s requests for additional testing, data, analysis and reviews to affirm the spacecraft’s safe undocking and landing capabilities.”

“We still believe in Starliner’s capability and its flight rationale. If NASA decides to change the mission, we will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return,” a Boeing spokesperson reiterated during the news conference, per the NYT.

During an International Space Station press conference streamed live by CBS News on July 10, Williams said she had “a real good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft will bring us home, no problem.”

That date could now be sometime next February, which is when SpaceX is set to return with four crew members, according to WSJ.