NASA confirmed on Saturday that astronauts aboard the Starliner spacecraft, who were stranded in space for over 80 days, will have to stay in the facility for another six months.
According to a report by the New York Post, the astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, are expected to return to Earth around February.
On June 5, astronauts Williams and Wilmore took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
It was supposed to be a mission that would last for eight days. Unfortunately, during the test flight, the astronauts experienced various technical issues, including the loss of thrusters and leaking helium.
Williams and Wilmore have been in space for over 80 days. NASA’s Nelson said the decision to bring them back to Earth in February was made due to their safety.
They will be part of a mission launched by SpaceX.
James Free, an associate administrator for NASA, noted that engineers are still trying to understand the cause of the thruster issues that caused the spacecraft to malfunction.
Free commended NASA’s staff members for their hard work during the weeks leading up to the agency’s final decision regarding the issue.
Despite the challenges, he believed it was the right decision.