Stranded or not? What's the status of astronauts on Boeing's Starliner? 

Thanks Ellie, this is the top-notch, factual and even-handed journalism that we've all come to expect of you.

Better 'Stuckliner' than 'Flatliner'!

I think Starliner will bring them home. I certainly hope they are safe. If anything happens on the way back, Boeing is done.

I would NOT want to come home in that thing, it has way too many issues, and they never should have gone up in it.

At least the door didn't fall off.

Windows and or doors exploding off the ship while being towed before launch, is not a major concern at this time.

If it's Boeing, I ain't Going.

They have been up there so long that NASA are considering charging them rent.

I reckon the space station will be retired before star liner demonstrates a clean round trip which i think is needed before certification

What's really scandalous is that Starliner was allowed to fly at all, with two astronauts on board. It's not ready.

First bring back the two astronauts by using another rescue vehicle. Let the starliner return to earth unmanned.

nowadays Boeing is SO LUCKY to be a government supported/subsidized company, as a private one would be bankrupted by now.

I hope Butch remembered his shaver, hes going to look like a caveman after being stuck up there for so long

I can see the astronauts thinking about the issues, with one of them saying: "I knew we should have upgraded to business class".

That was a good analysis Ellie. I think I’ve mentioned something about this before but as a sidenote, in your ending bumper appeal for subscribers and even Patreon so that you can live the life you want to live, think of your viewers. They are struggling to live the kind of lives **they** want to live. I would strongly recommend rephrasing that to say “so that I can take you to these places “or “we got to go see and do the things that you want to do, and get answers to the questions that you are asking” A good manager will take the blame themselves but always praise the people on their team first. In the same way you want to emphasize in this form of journalism that you are acting as the hands and feet and eyes and ears of your viewers, and you disappear into the background.

I think Boeing's best days are over, you can see it in aviation too. Thank God for SpaceX.

Oh and BTW, great reporting Ellie.

If you had a SpaceX engineers look at Boeing's design they are likely to conclude Boeing's design is overly complicated. A Boeing engineer told me if you were to look at all the paperwork that went into building one of their planes the amount of paperwork would fill that plane. What this leads to is no one person knows how it all works.

Excellent report as always. What really chaps me about this whole situation is that Boeing lobbied HARD to exclude SpaceX from commercial crew. Had they been successful, we would still be buying rides from Russia. Given the world situation, how much do you think those rides would have cost? No doubt that building spacecraft is hard work but Boeing needs to get out of its own way and stop letting the accountants run the show.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="30">0:30</a> Boeing also is known for having problems keeping their doors closed.

+ about 6 hrs since Ellie's post: I hope you are following the NASA JSC ISS presser - reporters are pressing hard about the lack of daily info as well as the vague testing. And NASA is clearly annoyed about words like "stranded." Yet they will NOT commit to an end of testing and a return to earth for Suni and Butch.

I think these astronauts are going to have PTSD. Suit failures on their space walk. Having to shelter in place after Russian satellite blows up. Failed thrusters. Leaking helium. 8 years of delay. Are these guys cursed or what?

Nice to have someone provide a neutral report on the situation. As long as decisions are driven by the crew and engineers and not management, I have confidence in the safety of the crew. I think, however, Boeing has a while to go to get the confidence of everyone.

I do believe nasa is trying to save face with starliner. In my opinion, they should give SS dream chaser the money to develop the crew version and drop boing. It may take a little longer to develop crew dream chaser but it will be better in the long run

Great factional reporting thank you ellie

Given that the engine issues are with the service module, which is jettisoned before re-entry, and therefore can't be examined afterwards, it makes TOTAL sense to perform all due diligence to test and examine the state of the Starliner engines "at leisure" whilst the crew are at the station.

"Strandliner". Oh my!

Remember that time a Dragon capsule was stuck and couldn't safely leave and a second capsule had to be sent? Me neither.

Did you forget the 61 original recommendations? 27 were classified as “mandatory” to resolve before the next mission, 13 were “highly recommended” to resolve before the next flight, and the other 21 were considered a lower priority. Of the additional 19 recommendations, 15 were considered mandatory and 1 highly recommended.

Excellent, factual report.

I'll remain skeptical until someone explains why it is taking so long for the engineers to "study the problem." It's been three weeks already.

That's journalism right there! Good job!

It’s good that you pointed out that the astronauts are not in any danger. NASA should let the astronauts stay on the ISS and send the Starliner back to Earth without the crew. I have a bad feeling about this situation. It has the ingredients for disaster because there is the potential for politics to influence a technical decision. Boeing and NASA would look bad if they send Starliner back to Earth without a crew. Is there any way to find out if NASA is preparing a contingency plan, such as moving up the next crew Dragon mission?

Great vid, If your car breaks down in Chace CA you are stranded and stranded in the middle of the Mojave... if your capsule breaks down at ISS I'd say you are stranded... in the middle of literately nowhere....

Dear Lord can you imagine. It’s like asking them to take a ride on the Titan sub.

I think Starliner can do the job but I also think they were buying time to make sure they have as conservative of reentry plan as possible and maybe build some additional tests into it. I can't imagine what any more data analysis does for that unless they think there is a real possibility that a rescue will be needed

When a 1 week stay becomes a 1 month stay.. That smacks of desperation from Boeing. They either don’t know what’s wrong. Or know - and it’s potentially catastrophic. Either way it would not be safe to return with humans.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="32">0:32</a> I didn't even see that at the time. Lucky I'd finished my drink as I'd have done a spit-take otherwise.

PLOT : they want the two astronauts to surpass the regular 6 month shift.

Thanks for enlightening us, I was sort of scouting for updates on this from a good source!

Thankyou Ellie

At 0.33 it appears that a door falls off. Ok, Boeing, enough of that now. Bolt those doors on properly.

Supposedly they'll be home the 1st of July. If NASA needs to "study the problems" with the thrusters and the helium leaks, then maybe the Demo2 crew could celebrate July 4th on the ISS.

Thanks for the update

Boeing even cut corners on their space program. Good thing the Astronauts are not whisleblowers, but they sure are being treated like one 😂😂

Right at about :44 the door blows off! Hahahaha

Dunno if you've seen my comments before or not but I've been extremely critical of you in the past because I knew you were capable of putting out perfectly nuanced videos like this. This is excellent coverage of the current situation, not click-bait nonsense. Thank you.

Might be wise to return the people with SpaceX and have the Starliner return autonomously.

Thank you again for a great informative video. Given that the main problem is the service module, and that it is designed to burn up on re-entry, it is reasonable that they want to test it and understand the root cause of the problems as much as possible before the departure from ISS. Scientists take the decisions based on data, and they want to collect as much relevant data as possible.

"We are letting the data drive our decision making...". Why is Boeing not being transparent about what the data is telling them? This points to the fact that they have some potentially serious concerns.

If we delay long enough, then maybe the helium will leak back in?

At <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="32">0:32</a>, Starliner is being towed down a public road and an escape hatch blows off. No one stops. Did Ellie choose this clip intentionally to visually depict Starliner failures? We can't be sure of Schrodinger's astronauts until they land safely and give a press interview.

First time watcher.. great video. You have a wonderful voice, clear easy to understand and spoken at the right speed. Even for us 🇦🇺

Well, I think that the excuse of Boeing and NASA will be like.... Sorry, after that, our space suits run out of oxygen. (Problems with discomfort and Water) Therefore, We cannot realize the external safety tests for undocking. And we must call the dragon for help. Nice, face-saver.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="32">0:32</a> Did it's door just fall off? 😮 (Boeing 🤦)

OMG! Did you see the door blow off the capsule while it’s being taken up the road????? Hilarious!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="32">0:32</a> Boeing door goes flying, oops forgot those darn bolts again!

Very well balanced reporting, Ellie. Best I’ve seen so far. Well done!

When corruption kills ideas and *lives! 😢

A window fell off at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="34">0:34</a>. They may have found 4 bolts missing. Imagine how the two poor astronauts feel if that happen during launch!!😮 Actually, another piece seemed to have flown off at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="89">1:29</a>-<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="90">1:30</a> during launch.

a great update as usual thank you very much

Damn just something fly off the capsule about 30 sec in the video wow

If it's a Boeing, I ain't going!

If my car stops running and I'm stranded on the side of the road... I'm 'delayed' and 'stranded' and 'stuck'. Use any euphemism you want..to make it sound better...but they're all three. Delayed, Stranded and Stuck.

I feel it's important for all to step back. Stop talking, observe, quietly ponder, and remind ourselves exactly what we are doing. We (Starliner/NASA/Boeing) are putting 2 human beings into a small container, putting that on top of multiple, complex, ragingly dynamic emitters of propulsion in the form of fire, fueled by liquids that explode easily, up through the sky with precision navigational control THAT MUST WORK PERFECTLY, into an unforgiving, endless vacuum. We did this with a vehicle fraught with known, and more troubling, UNKNOWN issues. Whew... we are safe at ISS! BUT...... Now, we are faced with the math: 1/2 of the luck hoped for on this mission, docking with ISS, has been spent. The REST of the mission lies before us, PRECISION thrusting to enter the atmosphere EXACTLY right, then the need to survive SEVERAL minutes of fire and plasma during re-entry, where vehicle positioning is CRUCIAL for survival (relies on thrusters, just like on the command module) AND proper attitude for flight, let alone, landing area targeting. ......we have KNOWN issues, AND we've cashed in HALF of our luck already. Think about that. If I was anyone on staff/management, I would not want to trust this vehicle. I would not want to be a part of a 'Historical Tragedy' event on Wikipedia for the rest of my career. They need to be thinking like this.

Ellie, I watched to the end and I really enjoyed the video. Thanks! -Cliff

If I were in charge I'd be telling Boeing to get it fixed or don't even think about bidding on ANY MORE contracts.

They must be panic now.I really pray for them.

Keep up the even handed reporting! Cheers from Alaska

Look at second 31 of this video. The Boeing Starliners door falls off.

My jaw is still on the floor @<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="32">0:32</a> 😦

Thank you for showing us this video Ellie it's always interesting how we all view a scenario in a different way but at the core we are all concerned about the safety of the Astronauts as long as they get home safely is the main thing

Love the way you’ve been producing your content lately. Can see your past journalistic style coming through and it’s good

at this rate that capsule will reach the end of it's planned life before starting it's contracted mission

Space is difficult, but still, the feeling that Boeing quality control is slacking is hard to shake. I'm sure they'll iron out the bugs, but I'm reminded of the scene in "City Slickers", where Mitch and Curly are riding out one morning, having a 'friendly' chit-chat and a bemused Mitch asks Curly, "So, did you kill anyone today?" and Curly responds, "The day ain't over."

Actually, this reporting was very fair and direct. It didn't spin or downplay the seriousness of this subject. The US needs a solid way, a safe way, a reliable way, to begin our growth in space. The Boeing Starliner has not meet this basic need as of yet. Sad that NASA was not allowed to give the contract to Spacex.

NASA should already have declared Starliner unsafe. If the ship was on the ground, with the known issues, there is no way they would launch. Why launch with people at risk, just because the ship is in orbit?

Well done video. Me thinks those two astronauts are a bit worried. What are they doing with their extra time?

Window cover flying off (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="36">00:36</a>) during transport is another sign of Boeing’s incompetence.

Good video. Thanks for sharing

I think that Starliner will be able to retuen with the crew. but before it is to late i would say that a Dragon captule shuld be on standby in case it is needed.

Finally a fact-based vlog. Thank you for what you do.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="30">0:30</a> min someone at Boeing forgot to bolt the door and someone else forgot to check

Starliner ? No, we follow "Lost in Space" tv show offered to us by the Boeing entertainer 😂

I’ll come back home on dragon thank you. I would even come home on starship I trust that more then anything Boeing !

Thank you Ellie for strait- cool & best reporting. I warched Sunita Williams years ago on the ISS via NASA TV. I'm happy she got to go again. People in India see her as the astronaut from India but of course she is a US Test Pilot. You are the best reporter for Space & Tesla Tech development & congrats for the 100 K plack. 🎉

I know a little more than the public about Boeing. I was job hunting and found programing positions in their business software division on their site back before they killed 2 planefuls of people on the Max 8s. This led me to employee blogs where I found multiple complaints from programmers and project leaders about managements policy of only caring about deadlines not quality. They said that many had left in disgust. I am thinking NASA is finally deciding they cannot trust this deceitful company. Maybe, you could search for those blogs and find someone to interview.

unlike in 1969, the internet has made it impossible to cut to hollywood...😂

Stuckliner, Leakliner, Starleaker, and many other names fit this spacecraft much better!

I think of what I hear I would say it maybe coming down to a rescue mission by SpaceX. I am no expert but it looks like it to me

Fire that incompetent buffoon CEO, and the rest of his cronies, and MAYBE Boeing can be salvaged. The fact he’s being allowed to “step down” at the end of the year is obscene. It’s like letting a drunk driver go home on his own recognizance after he’s already wrecked the car.

Very interesting

Great video Ellie. Is it a possibility that the astronauts will come back on a SpaceX Dragon capsule?

Love ya Ellie!!

I don't think it's possible for them to return in the spaceX capsule, since they don't have compatible pressure suits. If I'm wrong about this, please correct me. I think it will be okay to return in the Boeing capsule, assuming there is enough system redundancy remaining.

It would be a task, that Elon should practice, not only to retrieve the crew, but also retrieve the ISS. For it is in accomplishing self reliance, it is also importance to step to next realm of rescuing others, to help others who are isolated.

it will be a return vehicle if things are patched up as long as the engines dont fall off like in Boeing aircraft

Very well done and professional video. It is hard to know what we can trust from both Boeing and NASA. We have no basis for any opinion. There does not seem to be transparency until an incident investigation. You should not be receiving any push back for honest and professional reporting. The government needs to be honest with us so we can make decisions about what and whom to support. Glad you are living the exciting life you are enjoying!

NASA should never have flown the Buggy Starliner in the first place. Any craft that can't run withing the envelopes of its own specs should be sent back to the lab and refined until it works as specified.

thank god for elon