One factor not being discussed in the “mainstream” media is that Starliner’s internal batteries will be dead in a few weeks (sometime in early September), and once that happens it will become a useless brick. I’ve been firmly convinced all along that the two astronauts will have to be brought back some other way, and that Starliner will be released to burn up in the atmosphere. I just hope that NASA finally swallows its pride and tasks SpaceX with rescuing them so that both NASA and Boeing have to suffer the humiliation they so richly deserve. I think not wanting to admit failure is the primary reason why they keep futilely digging in this pile of horse dung hoping to find a pony somewhere within it.
I think it's built to do a last second propulsive landing on dry land, which would be foolhardy to try now with passengers. There's no way SpaceX won't be giving them the ride home.
“One factor not being discussed in the “mainstream” media is that Starliner’s internal batteries will be dead in a few weeks (sometime in early September), and once that happens it will become a useless brick.”
Yup—this is classic “kicking the can down the road” decision-making.
It sounds like nobody in Boeing has the authority and guts to make a decision and they are just stalling.