Starliner had flown to within a stone’s throw of the space station, a safe harbor, if only they could reach it. But already, the failure of so many thrusters violated the mission’s flight rules. In such an instance, they were supposed to turn around and come back to Earth. Approaching the station was deemed too risky for Wilmore and Williams, aboard Starliner, as well as for the astronauts on the $100 billion space station.
But what if it was not safe to come home, either?
“I don’t know that we can come back to Earth at that point,” Wilmore said in an interview. “I don’t know if we can. And matter of fact, I’m thinking we probably can’t.”

The spacecraft is falling apart.

Do you trust Boeing by following protocol and risk burning up in the atmosphere? Or do you trust your skills as a pilot and try your best to finish docking with limited thruster control?

That’s why Air Traffic Control only gives suggestions. All decisions made are up to the Pilot In Command. Automated spaceflight would have followed procedure and returned to Earth.

Good article. And all that talk from the two astronauts about the guidance and control accuracy of the Atlas V isn’t hyperbole. It really is renowned for precision.