Boeing is doing damage control as its first crewed commercial spacecraft remains on the International Space Station (ISS) with no confirmed return date.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5 after a series of technical delays and were scheduled to stay docked in space for between eight and 10 days.
As Business Insider previously reported, helium supports Starlink's reaction control system thrusters, which allows them to fire.
They said the helium systems and thrusters are located in the spacecraft's service module, which is "discarded and burns up in the atmosphere on reentry," preventing a failure analysis from taking place on Earth.
Boeing has faced criticism from lawmakers, airlines, and whistleblowers, many of whom alleged that its approach to aviation safety wasn't sufficient.
The company previously told BI that those allegations were not representative of the work it has done to "ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."
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