The test flight for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on Boeing’s new Starliner capsule was meant to last a little over a week when they launched on June 5.
Now, the pair is stuck on the International Space Station until at least February 2025.
Safety risks posed by thruster malfunctions and helium leaks in the spacecraft’s propulsion system are preventing the astronauts from returning to Earth.
NASA maintains the pair can leave if urgently needed, but the agency plans to keep them at the ISS until a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, set to launch in September, can bring them home upon its return next year.
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