Boeing Starliner stuck in space

July 1, 2024 - Technical glitches with the spacecraft have left two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, in limbo onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

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Astronauts Wilmore and Williams launched onboard the Starliner on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission to the ISS.

As Starliner approached the space station a day after launch, five of the capsule’s 28 thrusters failed during docking. Four thrusters restarted, and the one faulty thruster has been turned off.

Starliner already had one small helium leak when it blasted into orbit, but four more sprung up during the flight. Helium is used to pressurize fuel for the thrusters.

On Friday (June 28), NASA said the astronauts were safe and would not set a return date.

“We’re not in any rush to come home,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.

Stich added that Starliner is designed for a mission of up to 210 days and that the rest of the capsule’s systems are “working well.”