Two American Astronauts Stranded at the International Space Station Until 2025

NASA, the U.S. space agency, announced that two astronauts sent into space for an eight-day mission in June are likely to remain at the International Space Station until next year due to technical issues. Reuters reported that Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the first astronauts launched into space with Boeing's Starliner capsule, are stranded at the ISS due to technical problems with the capsule. If the Starliner is still not suitable for return to Earth, they will return in February 2025 aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule. This mission, which was supposed to last only eight days, has been extended due to deficiencies in the Starliner's propulsion system. A Boeing spokesperson stated, 'If NASA decides to change the Starliner mission, the company will take the necessary steps to configure the capsule for an uncrewed return.' Meanwhile, SpaceX and NASA are discussing keeping two seats empty on the next Dragon capsule launch, which has been delayed by a month. The delay is also due to joint efforts by NASA and Boeing to resolve technical issues with the Starliner, which is currently docked at the ISS. In July, Boeing announced that its engineers had identified issues with the Starliner after thorough ground tests, which could include sudden engine disruptions or helium leaks. In a second statement in August, Boeing expressed hope that the Starliner could still safely return the ISS crew to Earth. However, NASA officials had disagreements in their meeting this week regarding the acceptance of Boeing's test data and the use of the Starliner to bring the astronauts home. While such problems in test space missions are not unusual or unexpected, the implications for Boeing, which has faced a series of public relations crises over its aircraft in recent years, are significant. Utilizing a SpaceX spacecraft to bring back astronauts that Boeing was supposed to return represents another major blow to this aviation giant, which has been planning and striving to compete with SpaceX and its Dragon capsules for years.