NASA Astronauts to Remain in Space Until February 2025 Due to Spacecraft Issues
Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, are facing an extended stay in space after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft forced a delay in their return to Earth. The pair, who launched on June 5, 2024, were originally scheduled to return in August 2024, but will now remain in space until February 2025.
The problems with the Starliner spacecraft, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, led NASA to decide that the spacecraft would return to Earth “un-crewed” due to safety concerns. As a result, the astronauts’ return was rescheduled for early 2025 with SpaceX.
In a press conference last Friday, the astronauts discussed their extended stay, with Williams saying, “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space.” Wilmore added, “It was trying at times. There were some tough times all the way through. That’s how things go in this business.”
The astronauts are sharing the International Space Station with nine other people, and their days are carefully scheduled by mission control on Earth. They start their day around 06:30 GMT and spend their time conducting maintenance tasks, scientific experiments, and keeping in touch with family through laptops and personal items.
Despite the challenges, the astronauts remain positive, with Wilmore saying, “We are pushing the edges of the envelope in everything that we do. And it is not easy. It’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s not why we do it. Maybe we do it because it’s hard.” Williams added, “We’re both Navy. We’ve both been on deployments. We’re not surprised when deployments get changed.”
The decision to extend the astronauts’ stay on the ISS allows SpaceX to launch its next vehicle, with lift-off scheduled for the end of September. The spacecraft will initially carry only two astronauts, Wilmore and Williams, who will return to Earth aboard the vehicle at the end of its mission in February.
Although they will miss the US elections in November, Williams looks forward to voting from space. “It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and [we’re] looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” she said.
The two astronauts shared that, although they miss their families and friends, they are both enjoying their time aboard the ISS and the work they are doing as crew members.
