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Boeing’s inaugural crewed Starliner test flight, with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore on board, has been in orbit for the past two months. Initially intended as an eight-day mission, the flight has now extended beyond 80 days in space. NASA is set to hold a press briefing on Saturday, August 24, to discuss plans for the astronauts’ return to Earth. The briefing, scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), will feature NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other senior officials. The event will be streamed live on the NASA app and YouTube channel at 10:30 p.m. IST . The astronauts launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 for what was supposed to be a short mission, but their return has been postponed indefinitely due to issues with helium leaks and multiple thruster malfunctions on the Starliner spacecraft. To address these technical challenges, NASA and Boeing have been collecting data on the spacecraft’s helium and propulsion systems from both on-orbit operations and ground-based testing. An official statement indicates that the review scheduled for later on Saturday will provide an update on the mission status, discuss final procedures, and review technical data. This review will also confirm whether it is safe to proceed with the undocking process and the return journey from the ISS. In the meantime, Williams and Wilmore have integrated into the ISS crew and are carrying out regular duties aboard the space station. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program involves collaboration with two private companies, Boeing and SpaceX, to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS. The ongoing Boeing mission with the Starliner, called the Crew Flight Test, is the first of at least six planned crewed missions under their contract with NASA. Since 2020, SpaceX has completed nine crewed missions for NASA and has also conducted several private flights. None
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