- Two astronauts on an 8-day mission could be stuck in space until 2025
- Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched to the ISS on June 5th for a short mission
- Two months after they’re still orbiting Earth unsure of when they will return
- Despite reaching the ISS safely, the Starliner encountered significant issues and now it’s not clear if it could make it back
- NASA officials are exploring alternatives with a decision expected in a week
Two astronauts on an 8-day mission could be stuck in space until 2025
When American astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5th, they anticipated a short mission. However, nearly two months later, they’re still orbiting Earth with no definitive return date.
The duo’s mission was to test Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft, marking its first manned flight. Despite reaching the ISS safely, the Starliner encountered significant issues, including propulsion system leaks and thruster failures, rendering it potentially unsafe for their return journey.
NASA officials are exploring alternatives, with the primary option still being the Starliner, pending safety clearances. Another possibility is integrating Wilmore and Williams into a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission set to launch in September, which would extend their stay to February 2025—transforming their expected eight-day mission into an eight-month sojourn.
The final decision on their return method is expected to take at least a week. If the Crew Dragon option is chosen, the Starliner will return to Earth uncrewed, controlled by computers.