In the first week of June, 2 NASA astronauts were launched into space on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. It was a test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) that was meant to last 8 days but they’ve been stuck there now for 6 months with no definite date of return. So in this Shortcut, we’ll look at what went wrong, what’s being done to get them home, and how this mission could impact Boeing and the future of commercial space travel.

Squiz recommends:

Reading: The NASA Space Station blog - it’s a fascinating look into the everyday life of the astronauts on the ISS and the research they’re doing, which covers everything from stem cell studies to trying to grow plants in space.

Reading: The BBC article What happens when astronauts get stuck in space gives a good overview of the Starliner’s mission and Boeing’s predicament with getting Wilmore and Williams home.

Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here.