NASA announces that the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without astronauts

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still stuck in space

VIDEO ABOVE: NASA announces that the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without astronauts

(FOX NEWS) – NASA officials announced Saturday that the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft that carried two astronauts into space in June will return to Earth without them.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were stranded in space after engineers discovered helium leaks and engine problems shortly after the Boeing CST-100 Starliner docked with the International Space Station, prompting NASA and Boeing to investigate.

The unmanned return will allow NASA and Boeing to continue collecting test data during the Starliner’s upcoming return flight to Earth without putting the crew at greater risk than necessary, NASA officials said.

“The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home unmanned is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told reporters.

“I am grateful to the teams at NASA and Boeing for their incredible and detailed work.”

The duo originally launched on June 5 from Space Force Station Cape Canaveral in Florida for a test flight mission that was originally scheduled to last a week.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON FOX NEWS