Two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station after their Boeing spacecraft malfunctioned could be there much longer than anticipated because of an incompatibility with their spacesuits.
NASA told Fox News Digital their Boeing spacesuits are made to work with the company’s spacecraft, while SpaceX’s spacesuits are made to work with its own Dragon vessel, which NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams may ride in on their descent back to Earth.
The two astronauts arrived in the Starliner vehicle June 5 and were only supposed to stay until the middle of the month.
Authorities have been discussing how to safely return them home after discovering helium leaks and propulsion problems.
NASA LEADERS PROVIDE UPDATE ON BOEING’S STRANDED STARLINER ASTRONAUTS
Both astronauts are “very familiar” with the International Space Station, said Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of safety and mission assurance. The Starliner test flight marked the third mission to the ISS for each of them.
With the commercialization of space, …