NASA says the astronauts stuck in space, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, now have a scheduled date of return to Earth. The latest update from the governmental agency, shared on August 24, revealed that the space duo will be back in February 2025.
According to the press release, Wilmore and Williams’ return will be without the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they went up in. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two SpaceX Crew-9 mission members will bring the astronauts home. NASA claims it’s currently working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to prepare things for Wilmore and Williams’ return mission. The preparation involves creating space for their belongings on the Dragon and designing personalized spacesuits for the spacecraft.
The Starliner will return in September. NASA noted that the spacecraft must return to make room for the SpaceX Dragon to dock for Williams and Wilmore. Engineering teams have reportedly been working extensively on the return effort.
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” noted NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work.”
Why Have Astronauts Butch Wilmore And Suni Williams Been Stuck In Space?
On June 5, Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, flew into the cosmos from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Their trip was expected to be an eight-day mission. Mechanical issues on the Boeing Starliner, such as helium leaks and thruster problems, are preventing the astronauts’ return.
During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams have been researching at the ISS, testing Starliner’s systems, and performing other tasks.
NASA said the Starliner’s unmanned return was necessary to allow the organization and Boeing “to continue gathering testing data” on the spacecraft “during its upcoming flight home.” Also, the source noted that it didn’t want to accept “more risk than necessary for its crew.”
“Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, this comes down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return,” stated Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft.”
