Boeing's Starliner Stuck at the ISS Until at Least August, NASA Admits

NASA is still "not quite ready" to announce a return date.

One Step Forward

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the International Space Station on board Boeing's plagued Starliner spacecraft on June 6, over a month and a half ago.

The trip was only supposed to last less than two weeks, but the space agency still has yet to issue a return date as engineers are still poring over the data, investigating a number of thrusters that sprung leaks during the trip to the station.

On Thursday, NASA confirmed that the two astronauts will be stuck at the station until at least August, extending their stay into a months-long ordeal.

During a press conference, NASA’s Commercial Crew manager Steve Stich said that "we're making great progress, but we’re just not quite ready" to determine a return date.

The agency is giving itself until at least the first week of August, at which point it will conduct a review — yet another setback of an already disastrous spacecraft launch.

Two Steps Back

Boeing's trouble with its Starliner spacecraft, which is meant to provide NASA with an alternative to SpaceX's tried-and-true Crew Dragon capsule, began years ago. Its development has already seen countless technical setbacks, delays, and budget overruns.

Last month's launch was marred by several helium leaks, causing several thrusters to shut down unexpectedly as the craft approached the station.

Earlier this week, Boeing concluded testing of spare engines at NASA's White Sands test facility to figure out what caused the mishap, setting the stage for further "data reviews."

The botched launch has raised thorny questions regarding NASA's relationship with its well-established contractor. Is the agency covering for Boeing?

The public perception of Wilmore and Williams being "stranded" at the ISS has been anything but flattering, as The Atlantic points out, compounding Boeing's already enormous PR issues regarding its aerospace business.

And while Stich has repeatedly reassured the public that the two astronauts could technically return on board Starliner in the event of an emergency, NASA's refusal to commit to any return date over the last seven weeks seems suspect.

"Of course they don’t feel comfortable putting them in the vehicle," an unnamed retired NASA astronaut told The Atlantic. "Otherwise they would have put them in it already."

More on Starliner: Boeing Desperately Trying to Figure Out Thruster Issue That's Stranded Astronauts in Space All Summer