In a press conference held on Thursday, NASA and Boeing officials announced that two NASA astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule will continue their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) until engineers resolve the technical problems plaguing the spacecraft. Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had embarked on a test mission in early June, which was initially planned for a week-long duration.

The delay in the capsule's undocking was attributed to faulty thrusters and small helium leaks, which raised safety concerns. However, last month, a Boeing spokesperson stated that the helium leaks and most of the thruster problems were stable and not a concern for the return mission. They clarified that only one thruster out of 27 was currently offline, posing no issues for the return mission.

Both NASA and Boeing officials stressed that the astronauts are not stranded and that the ongoing technical difficulties do not pose a threat to the mission's success. Although NASA had expressed confidence in the capsule's safety for emergency evacuation, mission managers were not yet ready to schedule its departure, stating that tests were still being conducted to ensure it performed as expected.

During Thursday's press conference, NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, stated that they were not ready to announce a return date and that the astronauts would remain at the ISS while engineers continue to address and examine the capsule's issues. He emphasized that the priority was to explore backup options, including the use of other capsules to ensure the safe return of the astronauts.

In recent developments, engineers completed testing on a spare thruster in the New Mexico desert, according to NASA. The thruster will undergo further examination to understand the root cause of the problems. Officials believe that the issues may have been caused by degraded seals, though further analysis is necessary to confirm this.

This mission of Boeing's Starliner, which marks the first time the spacecraft has carried a crew to space, has faced technical challenges from the beginning. Even before its launch, the mission encountered problems with reaction control thrusters and helium leaks that led to delays.

As NASA and Boeing work diligently to resolve the technical issues, the astronauts will remain at the ISS until the engineering team ensures a safe return for their journey home.