Stranded in Space: NASA Chief Blasts Boeing After Astronauts' 10-Day Trip Turns Into 9-Month Ordeal

NASA's leader has issued a rare public rebuke. The target: both Boeing and NASA's own teams over the troubled Starliner spacecraft mission. The mission's two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, launched on June 5 for a planned week-long test flight to the International Space Station. They are still there. Their short stay has stretched to over nine months—286 days and counting. Multiple technical failures, including helium leaks and thruster problems, have kept the Starliner capsule docked in orbit. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson did not hide his frustration. He stated that Boeing must fix its "systemic" quality control issues. He also said NASA itself must improve its oversight of contractors. The extended stay has created major operational headaches. It has forced NASA to repeatedly delay the astronauts' return while engineers assess the spacecraft's safety. Boeing's Starliner was designed to provide NASA with a second U.S. vehicle for crew transport, alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon. This first crewed test mission was a final step before the capsule could enter regular service. There is no new scheduled date for Wilmore and Williams's return to Earth. NASA officials say they will come home only when engineers are fully confident in the spacecraft's performance.