The Russian space agency "Roscosmos" confirmed its ongoing communications with NASA regarding the problems facing the International Space Station and the inability of the American "Starliner" spacecraft and its astronauts to return to Earth. Yuri Borisov, the general director of Roscosmos, stated during the "Space of Ideas" forum, "Today, our American colleagues are facing issues with the (Starliner) spacecraft; they do not know how to return their crew, and we are in continuous dialogue with them," noting that a similar situation occurred when the cooling circuit pressure dropped in the Russian "Soyuz MS-22" spacecraft.
NASA is facing a critical situation and a difficult choice regarding the return of its astronauts aboard Boeing's "Starliner" spacecraft, which is experiencing technical issues. The spacecraft's engine failed after helium leakage, and these issues have become particularly critical because "Starliner" occupies a vital space in the International Space Station that must be vacated before the commencement of SpaceX's mission using the "Crew Dragon" vehicle next September.
Ken Bowersox, Deputy Director of Human Spaceflight at NASA, indicated that the situation has increasingly become tense due to limited resources at the station and the need to utilize docking ports for other missions. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunil Williams can remain at the International Space Station until February 2025 if they do not return aboard "Starliner." The two astronauts launched on June 5, marking the first crewed test flight of the spacecraft, a milestone before "Starliner" is certified for regular crewed flights to orbit.
