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NASA is wrestling over how and when to bring two astronauts back from the International Space Station, after repeatedly delaying their return aboard Boeing鈥檚 troubled capsule.

Do they take a chance and send them home soon in Boeing鈥檚 Starliner? Or wait and bring them back next year with SpaceX?

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been up there since early June, their planned eight-day mission at the two-month mark and possibly surpassing eight months.

Testing continues, with Boeing expressing confidence in its spacecraft but NASA divided. A decision is expected next week.

What鈥檚 wrong with Boeing鈥檚 Starliner?

This is Boeing鈥檚 first time launching astronauts, after flying a pair of empty Starliners that suffered software and other issues. Even before Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams blasted off June 5, their capsule sprang a leak in propulsion-related plumbing. Boeing and NASA judged the small helium leak to be stable and isolated, and proceeded with the test flight. But as Starliner approached the space station the next day, four more leaks erupted. Five thrusters also failed.

The capsule managed to dock safely, and four of the thrusters ultimately worked. But engineers scrambled, conducting thruster test-firings on the ground and in space. After two months, there鈥檚 still no root cause for the thruster malfunctions. All but one of the 28 thrusters seem OK, but the fear is that if too many conk out again, the crew鈥檚 safety could be jeopardized. The thrusters are needed at flight鈥檚 end to keep the capsule in the right position for the critical deorbit burn.

Are the two astronauts stranded?

NASA bristles at suggestions that Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams are stranded or stuck. NASA has stressed from the get-go that in an emergency at the space station 鈥� like a fire or decompression 鈥� Starliner could still be used by the pair as a lifeboat to leave. A former NASA executive said on Aug. 8 the astronauts are 鈥渒ind of stuck,鈥� although certainly not stranded. They鈥檙e safe aboard the space station with plenty of supplies and work to do, said Scott Hubbard.

If NASA decides to go with a SpaceX return, Starliner would be cut loose first to open up one of two parking spots for U.S. capsules. Before that happens Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams would fashion seats for themselves in the SpaceX Dragon capsule currently docked at the space station. That鈥檚 because every station occupant needs a lifeboat at all times. Once Starliner鈥檚 docking port is empty, then SpaceX could launch another Dragon to fill that slot 鈥� the one that Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams would ride.

Why might they have to wait until next year?

Like Boeing鈥檚 Starliner, SpaceX鈥檚 Dragon is meant to carry four astronauts. To make room for Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams, NASA said on Aug. 7 it could bump two of the four astronauts due to launch to the space station next month with SpaceX. The empty seats would be reserved for Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams, but they would have to remain up there until February. That鈥檚 because station missions are supposed to last at least six months. Some have lasted a year. Two Russians up there right now will close out a yearlong stint when they return in a three-seat Soyuz capsule in September alongside a NASA crewmate. There鈥檚 no thought given to ordering up a special SpaceX express, and the Dragon at the station now is the ride home next month for four residents.

This isn鈥檛 the first time a U.S. astronaut has had their stay extended. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and his two Russian crewmates ended up spending just over a year in space after their docked Soyuz capsule was hit by space junk and leaked all its coolant. An empty Russian capsule was sent up to bring them back last September.

What do the astronauts think about all this?

Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams are both retired Navy captains and longtime NASA astronauts who already have long space station missions behind them. Mr. Wilmore, 61, and Ms. Williams, 58, said going into this test flight that they expected to learn a lot about Starliner and how it operates. At their only news conference from space in July, they assured reporters they were keeping busy, helping with repairs and research, and expressed confidence in all the Starliner testing going on behind the scenes. There鈥檚 been no public word from them yet on the prospects of an eight-month stay.

Is there enough food, water, and air?

Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams鈥� suitcases were removed from Starliner before liftoff to make room for equipment urgently needed for the space station鈥檚 urine-into-drinking-water recycling system. So they made do with spare clothes already up there. A supply ship finally arrived this week with their clothes, along with extra food and science experiments for the entire nine-person crew. More supplies are due in a few more months. As for air, the space station has its own oxygen-generating systems. Despite the fat reserves, NASA would like to get back to normal as soon as possible. Besides Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams, there are four other Americans and three Russians on board.

Why is NASA sticking with Starliner?

NASA deliberately hired two companies to get its crews to and from the space station, just as it did for delivering cargo. The space agency considered it an insurance policy of sorts: If one crew or cargo provider was grounded, the other could carry the load. 鈥淵ou want to have another alternative both for cost reasons and for safety reasons and options. So NASA needs Boeing to be successful,鈥� said Mr. Hubbard, who served on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003.

Even with the latest setbacks, NASA insists it wants to keep using Boeing Starliners for astronaut rides. The goal is to send up one Dragon and one Starliner every year with crews, six months apart, until the station is retired in 2030. SpaceX has been at it since 2020.

What does Boeing say?

Boeing insists its capsule could still safely bring the astronauts home. But the company said on Aug. 7 it would take the steps necessary to bring the capsule back empty if that鈥檚 NASA鈥檚 decision. Last week, the company posted a list of all the tests that have been done on the thrusters since liftoff.

鈥淲e still believe in Starliner鈥檚 capability and its flight rationale,鈥� the company said.

A longtime space contractor, Boeing has had to overcome multiple Starliner problems over the years. The company had to launch an empty Starliner twice before committing to a crew, repeating the initial flight test because of bad software and other issues. The delays have cost the company more than $1 billion.

Mr. Hubbard questions whether NASA and Boeing should have launched the crew with the original helium leak, which cascaded into more.

鈥淲hatever happens with the Starliner, they need to find out what the problem was and fix it,鈥� he said, 鈥淎nd give everybody confidence they are still in the aerospace business in a major way.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.

Boeing has seen a tide of bad headlines. It鈥檚 hoping for a reset with space launch.
Boeing鈥檚 first spacecraft to carry a human crew launched from Florida in May.聽The Starliner is the second of two contracts NASA awarded to private companies to shuttle astronauts to the space station.聽聽