NASA has decided that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for a week on June 6 with Boeing’s Starliner shuttle and were stranded there, will return to Earth in February.
The Starliner shuttle docked with the ISS after a flight of approximately 27 hours, but a helium leak occurred during the journey and 4 of its 28 thrusters failed. The astronauts managed to operate 3 of the thrusters, but the return was postponed due to technical problems that sparked safety concerns.