Starliner Astronauts May Not Get Home Until Next Year

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5th for what was originally planned to be a week long mission, now might have to remain on the International Space Station until 2025. Starliner’s return is being continuously delayed due to unresolved technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster problems… some of which began even before it launched. With the Crew-9 launch on SpaceX’s Dragon approaching, NASA is now considering the possibility of including Wilmore and Williams in that mission to return them to Earth, but not until next spring. Meanwhile, Boeing and NASA teams are still evaluating Starliner’s long list of troubling issues and potential return strategies.