Due to problems with the capsule, American astronauts are seriously stuck on the ISS

'We'll come home when we're ready'

No return date announced for NASA astronauts due to Boeing Starliner capsule issues. The US space agency says the pair of astronauts are not 'stuck' on the ISS but will remain on the International Space Station until technical issues are resolved – as if that makes much of a difference.

Photo: ruwikipedia

Two NASA astronauts in Boeing's Starliner capsule will remain on the International Space Station with no official return date yet, NASA and Boeing officials said on Thursday morning, as engineers continue to investigate technical issues with the spacecraft.

Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams first flew to the station about seven weeks ago, in early June, on a test flight that was supposed to last about a week, according to The Guardian. But the capsule's undocking was delayed by engine trouble and a small helium leak, raising safety concerns.

Last month, a Boeing spokesman said the helium leak and most of the engine problems were “stable and not a concern for reentry.”

“Four of the five engines that were previously disabled are now operating normally. That means only one engine out of 27 is currently disabled. This does not pose a concern for the reentry mission,” the spokesman said at the time.

NASA and Boeing officials said the astronauts were not stranded on the space station and that the technical difficulties did not threaten the mission.

NASA announced earlier this month that it was still conducting tests to ensure the capsule would work properly and said that while they were confident the craft would be safe for an emergency evacuation, mission managers were not yet ready to schedule its departure.

NASA and Boeing officials said Thursday that they were not ready to announce a return date and that the pilots would remain at the space station until engineers had finished their work and studied the problems with the capsule.

“We’ll come home when we’re ready,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program, said at a news conference, according to the Associated Press. He also acknowledged that backup options are being considered, including using other capsules to safely get the astronauts home, which he said is a top priority.

According to NASA, engineers recently completed tests of a backup engine in the New Mexico desert, which will be further studied in an attempt to understand what went wrong. According to the AP, officials say the problems appear to have been caused by damaged seals, although more analysis is needed.

This isn’t the first time the Starliner mission, which is the first spacecraft to carry crew into space, has encountered technical problems, The Guardian recalls. That NASA and Boeing mission also had pre-launch difficulties, including problems with its jet engines and a helium leak that delayed its departure.