As two U.S. astronauts remain stuck at the International Space Station (ISS), NASA has once again delayed making a critical choice on how to safely bring them home, announcing at a press conference Wednesday that a final decision will be made at the end of the month.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stuck in space for more than two months due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, reported NBC News.
The astronauts launched on June 5 for Boeing’s first crewed test flight of the Starliner, in what was supposed to be just an eight-day mission. But the pair have remained in space for much longer after a series of technical problems soon plagued their craft.
Five of Starliner’s thrusters, which are crucial for maneuvering, malfunctioned, while a helium leak in the propulsion system further complicated the situation. The combined issues have forced NASA to delay the astronauts’ return while engineers conduct an in-depth technical review of the spacecraft.
As of now, Wilmore and Williams are “doing great” and said they went to space prepared for a risky mission, NASA relayed during the Wednesday press conference. The two have also continued to conduct to scientific experiments in the meantime.
Officials said that they’re currently considering two main options: bringing the astronauts back to Earth aboard the beleaguered Starliner or using a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their return.
In the commercial spaceflight race, SpaceX has already completed nine crewed missions for NASA, while this was Boeing’s first attempt at a crewed flight.
If SpaceX is chosen as the return option, the astronauts could reportedly be forced to remain at the ISS for an additional six months as they wait for the new craft to arrive.
