Boeing Starliner’s return from space to hinge on weeks of more testing

Boeing’s BA.N Starliner spacecraft won’t return its two astronauts from the International Space Station until after engineers spend “a couple weeks” on testing to investigate the spacecraft’s thruster issues, a NASA official said on Friday.

Starliner, which has been docked to the ISS since June 6 after ferrying its first crew of astronauts there, has had its test mission drawn out after a series of issues involving its thrusters and leaks of helium, which is used to pressurize the thrusters.