Starliner’s test pilots express confidence in returning home

(CBS, KYMA/KECY) - A pair of NASA astronauts are expressing confidence they'll be able to return home, following their mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

NASA test pilots Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore took off for the International Space Station (ISS) early last month on what was supposed to be an eight-day voyage.

However, their return has been delayed for weeks due to helium leaks and issues with the spacecraft's maneuvering jets.

The veteran Navy test pilots addressed their mission back to Earth on Wednesday, and the voyage is Boeing's first crewed mission to the ISS.

NASA awarded billions of dollars to both Boeing and SpaceX to build spacecraft to get American astronauts to space.