Two astronauts stranded on the Space Station can't return to Earth, NASA says

Astronauts stranded on the International Space Station are still unable to return home, NASA said.

Two astronauts went to the space station almost 50 days ago as part of a test of Boeing's Starliner capsule. But the spacecraft was affected by problems both before and after takeoff, and since then engineers have delayed the return until they figure out what went wrong.

The inspection is still not complete and the space agency cannot give a date for them to return, NASA said in an update on Wednesday.

Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to visit the orbiting laboratory for about a week and return in mid-June, but thrust problems and helium leaks in Boeing's new Starliner capsule prompted NASA and Boeing to leave the astronauts longer.

NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, said mission managers were not ready to announce a return date.

"We'll be back home when we're ready," Stich said, adding that the goal is to bring Wilmore and Williams back to starliner. But he acknowledged that the space agency is considering other options, which could include bringing the couple home with another spacecraft.

NASA had initially said the spacecraft would be safe for a 45-day stay, though astronauts now have in space for longer than that.

Engineers last week completed testing on a backup booster in the New Mexico desert to try to figure out what went wrong during docking and to prepare for the trip home.