00:03A few weeks ago it was reported that two astronauts who were testing Boeing's new Starliner had a
00:08malfunction with their spacecraft and became stranded aboard the International Space Station.
00:13Their mission was supposed to last just over a week. Now it will be much, much longer. In a
00:18recent statement released by NASA, they announced that Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain
00:23aboard the ISS for another six months. The announcement confirms that a SpaceX mission
00:28that was already planned for launch will end up being their ticket home. The new Plan B mission
00:32would involve a bare-bones SpaceX Dragon crew ascending to the ISS. The Starliner crew will
00:37then return with them as an official part of their mission. That launch is set for February,
00:41meaning the Starliner's planned eight-day mission just turned into an eight-month stay in space.
00:47NASA says that this is the best bet to get the Boeing astronauts back to Earth safely,
00:51while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew. The issue in the Starliner derived
00:55from a helium leak and thruster issues. According to NASA, if the astronauts tried to return in that
01:01spacecraft, they may not have adequate propulsive power to exit orbit and descend.
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