Two NASA astronauts who have been stranded in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025, thanks to SpaceX.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been on the International Space Station since June 5, 2024, and were initially scheduled for an eight-day mission.
However, due to issues with their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, their stay has been extended to nearly eight months.
NASA explained that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to bring the astronauts back, will return to Earth “un-crewed.” The Starliner encountered several problems on its way to the ISS, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. These issues have kept engineers at Boeing and NASA busy for months as they worked to understand and fix the technical problems.
Boeing and SpaceX were both given billion-dollar contracts by NASA to provide commercial space flights for its astronauts. Boeing’s contract was worth $4.2 billion, while SpaceX received $2.6 billion. While SpaceX has already successfully flown several crewed missions to the ISS, this was the first test flight for Boeing’s Starliner with astronauts on board.
Given the ongoing issues with Starliner, NASA has decided that Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft instead. The extended stay on the ISS allows SpaceX to prepare and launch its next vehicle, scheduled for the end of September. The spacecraft was initially supposed to carry four astronauts, but it will now travel to the space station with only two, leaving room for Williams and Wilmore to join them for the return trip to Earth next February.
NASA and Boeing engineers will continue to work on the Starliner issues, but the priority now is to bring the astronauts home safely.
