“Of course they don’t feel comfortable putting them in the vehicle.”

Air Lock

With two NASA astronauts still stranded in space for weeks, officials at the space agency have insisted that the troubled Boeing Starliner, plagued with technical issues, can take the two explorers back to Earth.

So, why haven’t they already?

An unnamed retired astronaut tells The Atlantic the obvious truth that NASA has been dancing around since the beginning of this space boondoggle: it’s just too risky right now.

“Of course they don’t feel comfortable putting them in the vehicle,” the retired astronaut told the magazine, referring to the Starliner, which transported the astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) back in June and is meant to return them back home. “Otherwise they would have put them in it already.”

Expect Delays

No date has been set for a return trip, with the earliest date now pushed back to August. To explain away the delay, NASA officials have said repeatedly that they want to test and troubleshoot the Starliner capsule before committing to a return trip.

The trouble started when helium leaks were discovered on Starliner prior to takeoff. They opted to launch anyway, and on its journey toward the ISS, it started experiencing additional leaks and malfunctioning thrusters.

Boeing has gotten the brunt of the negative press, not least because the company’s airplanes have been in the news for falling doors and other quality control issues, casting a pall over its space efforts as well.

But NASA shouldn’t escape scrutiny, the Atlantic article argues, and the space agency has been less than forthcoming with issues surrounding the Starliner, which has been ill-fated from the start of its development with various technical issues and aborted launches.

Boys Club

For its part, NASA is eager to have a second option for ferrying astronauts into space beyond the more battle-tested Dragon capsule manufactured by SpaceX.

But even setting aside the Starliner, NASA ‘s relationship with SpaceX, headed by mercurial tech billionaire Elon Musk, has had its own fair share of headaches.

While SpaceX missions into space have been successful, the commercial space outfit has seen death and injuries to personnel, not to mention Musk’s purported drug use and inappropriate relations with women staff.

One of those female staff members, a flight attendant, sued Musk for exposing his penis to her, resulting in a $250,000 payout to quiet down the scandal.

There’s been no answer from NASA on these issues, but with American dollars being used for these missions, there’s no question that the space agency needs to be more transparent.

More on Boeing Starliner: Boeing’s Starliner Stuck at the ISS Until at Least August, NASA Admits