NASA leaders provide update on Boeing's stranded Starliner astronauts
ORLANDO, Fla. - NASA leaders revealed few new details during a briefing on a pair of astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station since June after a malfunction on their Boeing spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the ISS on a Starliner vehicle on June 5 and were only supposed to stay until the middle of the month.
Authorities have been discussing how to safely return them home after discovering helium leaks and propulsion problems.
Both astronauts are "very familiar" with the International Space Station, said Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of safety and mission assurance. The Starliner test flight marked the third mission to the ISS for each of them.
Authorities said a data analysis was still underway Wednesday and that it was expected to wrap up by the end of next week. A flight readiness review could begin then or the week after.
Authorities said last week that one previously discussed option was sending them home on the NASA SpaceX Crew-9 mission. This mission would take off in September with two empty seats, leaving room for Wilmore and Williams on the February 2025 return.
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Authorities said Wednesday that option is still on the table, and the Starliner remains a contingency.
If the agency approves a contingency plan, officials say they will likely have Starliner undock from the space station and return to Earth autonomously.
Boeing said it was confident that the Starliner was safe enough to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth safely.
NASA says it needs more time to analyze the spacecraft's maneuvering thrusters, which developed problems during its first astronaut-crewed flight to the ISS.
NASA officials said Wednesday that they should decide on their plan for Wilmore and Williams by the last week of August, if not sooner.
Asked whether the two astronauts preferred how they would return home, NASA officials said they asked Wilmore and Williams for their opinion. However, the astronauts are relying on the organization's staff on the ground to analyze the data and decide.
Fox News' Audrey Conklin, Charles Bell, and Jonathan Serrie contributed to this report.