Astronauts stuck in orbit may not return to Earth until 2025

Mission commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Sunni” Williams arrived at the space station on June 6. During their journey to the International Space Station, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft suffered a helium leak and five of its 28 engines failed. Just before the capsule was due to dock, the astronauts managed to fire two of them. The Americans were scheduled to stay at the station for seven days.

Before the flight, NASA said the Starliner could stay docked to the ISS for up to 45 days. The pair of American astronauts have now been at the station for 63 days. Butch and Sonny’s flight is Boeing’s first crewed test flight. It has been canceled twice.

Now that astronauts can’t safely return to Earth, NASA’s patience with the American giant is wearing thin, hinting that scientists may never board the Starliner. It’s Boeing’s biggest space rival — SpaceX may be chosen for the mission to rescue Wilmore and Williams. However, this solution will likely extend their stay in space for another half a year.

Boeing conducted ground tests that showed the failures were likely caused by faulty seals that swelled with heat and restricted fuel flow. The information did not reassure NASA employees who, according to CNN, “I feel increasingly uneasy about the uncertainty surrounding the state of the engines.” As a result, no one is convinced that it will be safe for Starliner astronauts to return to Earth.

NASA is still analyzing the situation and preparing contingency plans.