Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent July 4 aboard the International Space Station as NASA and Boeing officials try to figure out what's wrong with Starliner's thrusters.

"This was an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the physical properties and obtain detailed images of a near-Earth asteroid."

All three asteroids were captured by NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar, a 230-foot-wide (70-meter) radio antenna near Barstow, California. NASA scientists beamed radio waves at the objects, and the reflected signals bounced back.

MK nor 2011 UL21, as the asteroids are named, came close enough to pose a hazard, but both were within range of radar imaging systems. So NASA got a few happy snaps to mark the occasion. These are more than just asteroid flyby souvenirs.

Bright Side As two astronauts remain stuck aboard the International Space Station thanks to a barrage of issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, NASA is praising the aerospace company for getting them there in one piece.

NASA and Boeing say they're being cautious to make sure astronauts testing the new Starliner spacecraft will return safely.

NASA insists the two astronauts onboard the Boeing Starliner are "not stranded in space". July 5 marked one month since the craft launched for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station.