NASA Astronauts Stranded in Space Due to Boeing's Starliner Issues
NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams are stuck in space due to issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. They were supposed to return from their eight-day mission on June 13, but the return has been delayed indefinitely. A backup option for their return is using SpaceX's Crew Dragon.
Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams are stranded in space due to issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule.
The astronauts launched on June 5, 2024, for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), but their return has now been delayed indefinitely.
The spacecraft encountered multiple problems, including five helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters.
NASA has rescheduled their return three times, with an internal target date of July 6, which would extend the mission to a month.
As a backup plan, the astronauts can return to Earth using SpaceX's Crew Dragon if necessary.
The Starliner capsule was intended as a critical alternative to SpaceX's Crew Dragon, but has faced continuous issues since its development.