NASA has announced that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will remain docked with the International Space Station (ISS) until August as the agency and Boeing address issues that arose early in the mission.
The Starliner capsule, named “Calypso,” has been in space for more than 50 days, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Originally scheduled for an early return, the mission faced several delays as NASA conducted necessary ground tests before approving the spacecraft's reentry.
In a recent press conference, Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew manager, said that despite significant progress, the agency is not yet ready to set a firm return date. “We're making great progress, but we're not ready to do that yet,” Stich said.
NASA will conduct a review in the first week of August. Only after this review will the agency schedule the Starliner's return to Earth.
Boeing and NASA are working to resolve a malfunction in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. Testing is underway in White Sands, New Mexico, and additional thruster tests are planned while Starliner remains docked to the ISS.
Stich also mentioned contingency plans, including the possibility of using SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to return astronauts to Earth in the event that the Starliner is deemed unfit for purpose.