Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for over two months, will finally return to Earth in February 2025 with the help of SpaceX.
Their original mission was supposed to last only eight days, starting on 5 June, but they’ve ended up spending around eight months in orbit due to issues with their spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.
The problems included helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, making it unsafe for the astronauts to come back on the same craft.
Boeing and SpaceX both received contracts worth billions of dollars from NASA to provide commercial space flights.
While SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has successfully completed nine crewed missions, this was Boeing’s first attempt, and it faced significant challenges.
Engineers from Boeing and NASA have been working hard to understand the issues with Starliner, running tests both in space and on Earth, hoping to fix the problems.
NASA has decided to extend the astronauts’ stay on the International Space Station (ISS) until SpaceX can bring them back safely.
They will return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft after a mission scheduled for September. The two astronauts will spend the extra time in space doing scientific work and possibly spacewalks.
Boeing, which has faced delays and technical problems with Starliner before, remains focused on ensuring the astronauts’ safety. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized that space flight always carries risks, and safety is their top priority.
According to BBC, both astronauts fully support the plan and are prepared to continue their work in space until their return .
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy47w9yndpo