NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) for an extended period due to malfunctions with their Boeing Starliner capsule. Their mid-June return was postponed because of issues such as thruster failures and helium leaks. NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, mentioned that a new return date has not been established. The priority is to return the astronauts using the Starliner once the problems are resolved, though SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is being considered as a backup. Engineers tested a backup thruster and are investigating the malfunction causes, suspected to be worn-out seals causing helium leaks. Boeing will test the thrusters while the capsule remains docked. This mission is Boeing’s first crewed test flight, following an uncrewed test in 2019 and another problematic test in 2022. SpaceX, which has transported astronauts since 2020, faces its own issues, as Falcon 9 rockets are grounded due to an upper-stage failure. NASA has invested heavily in Boeing and SpaceX for dependable astronaut transportation to the ISS. The agency emphasizes the importance of resolving these technical problems swiftly to ensure continuous and safe access to space.