
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Two U.S. astronauts, who are currently stuck on space as part of the Boeing Crew Flight Test, will address a news conference aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are scheduled to speak during an Earth to space call at 2:15 p.m. ET, Friday, according to NASA.
Coverage of the event will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
Wilmore and Williams have been living and working aboard the station since docking on June 6, contributing to the expedition crew's research and maintenance activities, while helping ground teams collect critical data for long-duration Starliner flights to the orbiting complex.
The astronauts were supposed to return to earth on June 14, but after encountering technical issues, it has been delayed.
The mission was meant to last eight days. However, as the capsule's thrusters malfunctioned and helium leaked as Starliner docked with the ISS, NASA decided not to fly the spacecraft back to Earth until the problems were solved or at least better understood.
Following the U.S. space agency's decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo will remain on the space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew. They will return home only in February aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members on NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
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