Their 8-Day Space Mission Is Now in Its 51st Day

NASA says astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore aren't stranded in space, they're just not sure when they can bring them home. The astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on June 6 in Boeing's much-delayed Starliner spacecraft, and what was supposed to be an eight-day visit is now in its 51st day, the Washington Post reports. NASA said Thursday that it is still working to understand issues with the spacecraft's thrusters and propulsion system but progress is being made.

• Keeping busy. The Post reports that retired Navy captains Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, have stayed very busy during the extended stay with the other seven astronauts on the ISS. They have been working on scientific studies as well as the many chores involved in space station life. Williams says their tasks have included "maintenance that has been waiting for a little while—stuff that's been on the books for a little bit."

• Staying positive. "We've been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew," Williams says, per the Post. "It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up here with the International Space Station team." Wilmore says the ISS is "a great place to be, a great place to live, a great place to work."
• NASA's latest update. On Thursday, NASA officials say the plan is still to bring the two astronauts back on Starliner, NPR reports."We're really focused on bringing Butch and Suni home on Starliner," said Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager. The thrusters of the docked spacecraft will be tested this weekend.
• Another option. If it turns out to be impossible to bring the two astronauts back to Earth safely on Starliner, SpaceX's Dragon capsule is an option. But Starliner has enough battery life to last until September, giving NASA plenty of time to untangle the issues with the Boeing spacecraft, NPR notes. "We're methodically working through the data, and we'll come home when we're ready," Stich said.

(More Starliner stories.)