Two Astronauts Sent on 8-day Mission May be Stranded in Space Until 2025

NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams on June 5, 2024 embarked on what was intended to be an eight-day mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

However, due to unforeseen technical issues, their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) has extended far beyond the original plan, with the possibility of remaining in space until February 2025.

The mission, which marked Boeing's first crewed launch, encountered massive challenges during its approach to the ISS. Five out of the 28 thrusters malfunctioned, and leaks were detected in the propulsion system. These issues have raised safety concerns about the Starliner's ability to return the astronauts safely to Earth.

NASA officials have been exploring alternative options for bringing Wilmore and Williams back. One potential solution involves utilizing SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, "Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner. However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open."

This contingency plan would see the astronauts returning on a Crew Dragon mission scheduled for February 2025, which would extend their stay to over eight months instead of the planned eight days.

Ken Bowersox, the associate administrator for NASA’s space operations mission directorate, emphasized the complexity of the situation, stating, "We could take either path, and reasonable people could pick either path depending on where their view is on our position and the uncertainty bound that we have for the data that we’ve got on the thruster system, on the propulsion system."

Despite the prolonged mission, NASA and Boeing officials insist that the astronauts are not "stranded" but are awaiting the "right time" for their return. The decision on how to proceed remains pending, with ongoing discussions between NASA and SpaceX to ensure the astronauts' safe return.