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NASA Astronauts' Return Delayed Due to Boeing Capsule Issues. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain on the ISS as engineers address issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, delaying their return, AP reports. The astronauts' return has been postponed due to thruster failures and helium leaks in the Starliner capsule, which were discovered after docking at the ISS. NASA has not announced a return date for the astronauts, stating they will bring them back only when it is safe and all issues are resolved. NASA's Steve Stich mentioned that SpaceX's Dragon capsule could be a contingency plan if Starliner's problems persist. Engineers are conducting tests on a spare thruster and investigating degraded seals, believed to be causing the thruster failures and helium leaks. Boeing plans to conduct a thruster test on the docked Starliner to collect more data and better understand the technical issues. This mission is Boeing's first crewed test flight after previous setbacks, including a failed docking attempt in 2019 due to software issues. SpaceX, which has been transporting astronauts since 2020, faces its own challenges, with recent technical issues delaying upcoming flights. NASA has contracted Boeing and SpaceX for astronaut transportation, investing billions in these partnerships to ensure safe and reliable access to the ISS. The problems with Starliner raise concerns about future crewed missions and the reliability of Boeing's systems, potentially affecting mission schedules.
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