Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been aboard the spacecraft since it first took off from Florida on June 6.
Two NASA astronauts are stuck on the ISS after technical problems appeared with the Starliner capsule, LADbible reports.
Barry Wilmore, 61, and Sunita Williams, 58, have been aboard the ship since it left Florida on June 6.
Almost 50 days ago, they were sent for their first docking with the station on a test mission expected to last just over a week. However, due to engine failure and helium leaks, the undocking of the Boeing capsule was repeatedly delayed.
Currently, engineers are trying to find a solution to the problem, but for now the astronauts are forced to stay in the station. NASA commercial flight program manager Steve Stich said it is not possible to announce a return date at this time. According to him, there is a lot of progress, but they are not yet ready to give an exact date.
Boeing and NASA have conducted extensive testing of the faulty engines and are examining a spare module in the New Mexico desert to determine the cause of the problem. Stich noted that the ongoing review will be completed this weekend, but NASA’s review won’t take place until the first week of August. Wilmore and Williams will have to wait until then to go home.
NASA initially said the spacecraft was suitable for a 45-day stay, but has since exceeded that.
It was previously reported that the NASA Space Center has completed an experiment to simulate life on a station on the surface of Mars.
Source: korrespondent
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