What was supposed to be a quick eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has turned into a two-month saga for NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, and it looks like their space adventure isn’t ending any time soon.
The Starliner, which launched on June 5, was intended to spend about a week docked at the ISS before bringing the astronauts back to Earth. It has now been more than 60 days.
The mission has faced several setbacks, including multiple helium leaks and thruster failures raising concerns about the spacecraft’s safety for a return journey.
“When we started this mission, it was a test mission,” said Ken Bowersox from NASA during a press conference. “We knew that it potentially had a higher risk than a flight on a vehicle that has more experience.”
NASA’s Steve Stich explained that recreating the issues observed in space through ground tests has been challenging, leaving uncertainties about the spacecraft’s performance on its return trip.
“We can’t totally prove with certainty [that] what we’re seeing on orbit is exactly what we’re seeing on the ground,” said Stich.
Despite these challenges, Boeing and NASA insist that the astronauts are not stranded. “So far, we don’t see any scenario where Starliner is not going to be able to bring Williams and Wilmore home,” — oh yeah, this is reassuring 
“The vehicle is in good shape. I want to make it very clear that Butch and Suni are not stranded in space.”
In the meantime, NASA has devised contingency plans. If the Starliner is deemed too risky, it could be reprogrammed for an uncrewed return, and the astronauts could return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that is currently docked to the ISS.
Alternatively, they might hitch a ride on the next Crew Dragon mission, which has been delayed to September and could return in February 2025.
ISS manager Dana Weigel said at the press conference, “Those are backup contingency plans. We have not made any decisions at all in terms of anchoring to a specific plan.”
During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams have been contributing to ISS activities, including research and system maintenance.
NASA and Boeing are expected to come to a decision on the astronauts’ return home mid-August.
Lead image: Getty Images/ AP
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