NASA has issued an indefinite extension on the Boeing Starliner's stay at the International Space Station as the agency and company amid an ongoing probe into the reported thruster issues.
During last Friday's conference, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that the two parties have agreed to let the Starliner and its crew stay in the ISS while testing and analysis continue.
NASA originally gave Boeing only three weeks to resolve the problem but has since extended the schedule after initial investigations failed to determine the exact cause for thruster issues and valve leaks reported following its test flight.
Now, the agency estimated that the Starliner could return to Earth as soon as late summer.
NASA Denies Boeing Astronauts are 'Stranded' in the ISS
NASA has reiterated that the delays were made in consideration of the two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, aboard the space module.
The space administration even disputed rumors that the Wilmore and Williams are "stuck" or "stranded" in the ISS but rather just taking "our time to work through the vehicle and make sure we're ready to come home."
Boeing Faces More Delays on NASA Space Contract
While it was not the first time for NASA to face delays for its space missions, the repeated rescheduling is another hit on Boeing's long overdue commitments for its first crewed test flight.
Even before the astronauts arrived at the ISS, the planned crewed flight had already been delayed multiple times as expenses on the spacecraft continued to balloon.
It did not help that the aerospace manufacturer is currently embroiled in legal controversies and federal scrutiny following several incidents involving its 737 MAX aircraft.
Its rival company SpaceX, on the other hand, has already completed its first crewed voyage over four years ago despite receiving its NASA contract at the same time as Boeing in 2014.
