Spacecraft Problems Could Keep NASA Astronauts at Space Station until February | Space

Two American astronauts could remain at the International Space Station (ISS) until February if the spacecraft that transported them cannot be fixed to safely bring them home.

The U.S. space agency NASA said last week it had not yet made return plans for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The two have been aboard the ISS since June 6.

The American astronauts were expected to stay in space for only a week. But technical issues with the Boeing-built Starliner spacecraft have so far prevented a return trip.

The trip that carried Wilmore and Williams was a test flight for Starliner that marked the first time the spacecraft successfully carried astronauts to space.

NASA looking for a solution

NASA officials held a news conference Wednesday to discuss the ongoing situation with Starliner and the astronauts at the ISS. They said the agency is still working with Boeing to find a solution for the spacecraft’s technical difficulties. Investigations have centered on helium leaks and thruster problems with Starliner.

But if those issues cannot be resolved in the coming weeks, NASA said it could decide to use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring the astronauts back to Earth. NASA has been using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to regularly carry astronauts and supplies to the ISS since 2020.

If NASA decides to use Crew Dragon, it said it would leave two of four seats open…