Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will remain in space for an extra week as crews work to repair their Starliner spacecraft.
The astronauts, who work for NASA, traveled from Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5. They arrived the next day and were scheduled to stay for seven days.
However, helium leaks and thruster failures were discovered on their spacecraft, causing delays in their return. These thrusters are crucial for moving the craft. Now, their return to Earth is postponed until June 26 at the earliest.
The Starliner spacecraft, designed by Boeing, is a capsule that transports astronauts and equipment into space. NASA asked Boeing, a company known for making planes, to develop this spacecraft to ensure they had a US-made vehicle for trips to the ISS.
The Starliner consists of two main parts: a reusable crew module that can hold up to seven astronauts and a service module that contains thrusters and engines. The crew module, where the astronauts sit, is designed to be very safe, including an escape system that can quickly move the crew away from the rocket if there is a problem during launch.
As NASA and Boeing work to fix the issues, Wilmore and Williams continue their mission on the ISS, awaiting their safe return to Earth.
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