Two astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft will now remain in space until at least March 2025, NASA announced on Tuesday.
According to CBS News, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Starliner in June 2024 for what was meant to be a short 8–10 day mission. However, persistent technical issues with Boeing’s spacecraft forced NASA to keep the astronauts at the ISS for safety. Initially, Starliner was set to return empty in September while Wilmore and Williams would catch a ride back on a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Plans for their return have since been further delayed. NASA now anticipates their replacements, traveling aboard SpaceX Crew-10, will launch “no earlier than late March 2025.” That means the astronauts must wait until the new crew arrives, undergo a standard handover period, and only then return to Earth aboard SpaceX Crew-9.
The handover period is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition of operations, allowing the departing crew to share updates on ongoing science experiments and maintenance. NASA has not provided an exact timeframe for how long this handover might last.
Boeing’s Starliner has faced significant setbacks during its development, including helium leaks in the propulsion system and degraded thrust performance in its maneuvering jets—issues that emerged during its journey to the ISS. Despite overcoming budget challenges and technical hurdles to finally reach orbit, the spacecraft’s reliability remains a concern.
SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission has also been delayed to allow for the completion of a new Dragon spacecraft. NASA officials expressed their appreciation for SpaceX’s meticulous work. “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
If the schedule holds, Wilmore and Williams’ mission—intended to last just over a week—will stretch to a staggering nine months in orbit.
As NASA, SpaceX, and Boeing continue their efforts, Wilmore and Williams remain at the forefront of this unexpected, record-breaking mission.
Photo: alonesbe
