Two astronauts are stuck in space because their Boeing Starliner spacecraft is unable to come back to Earth.
Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams were supposed to stay in orbit for eight days after reaching the International Space Station, having blasted off from Earth on June 5.But they remain in space, with the capsule suffering five helium leaks, five broken manoeuvring thrusters, as well as issues with a propellant valve.This was the first crewed test of the Starliner capsule before it can be certified to use to make regular trips to the space station.
If that were the case, it would mean the astronauts would have been in space for a month, not just over a week as had been originally scheduled. The astronauts have plenty of supplies, and have spent their time testing vital systems to make sure they are functioning correctly.Their spacecraft can stay docked at the international space station for 45 days comfortably, but up to 72 days if it uses backup systems.
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