By Dilara Hamit
Officials from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boeing have announced that the return date for the Starliner capsule, which is carrying two NASA astronauts, to Earth has not yet been determined.
According to CNN, NASA and Boeing officials stated during a press conference that they have been conducting troubleshooting efforts and tests to understand the issues with the spacecraft for weeks.
The officials noted that the investigations have helped engineers better understand the "root causes" of the problems and that the engineers have some possible answers as to why helium leaks occurred and why the thrusters unexpectedly stopped working.
They explained that the source of the problems might be the heat accumulating inside the thrusters, causing the Teflon seals to swell and restrict the flow of propellant gas.
The officials stated that they are continuing to work on resolving the issues and that the return date for the Starliner capsule, which is carrying two NASA astronauts, to Earth has not yet been finalized.
Steve Stich, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said that they are not yet ready to determine the return date. Stich mentioned that NASA will conduct a review in the first week of August and will plan the return of Starliner after this review.
Following delays, Boeing launched the Starliner capsule carrying two NASA astronauts into space for the first time on June 5. The Starliner capsule "Calypso," which transported NASA astronauts to the ISS, has been in space for 50 days.