Stranded astronauts will return from space within six months

The two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station will return from space in February next year, NASA announced during a press conference.

Earlier this month, it was announced that astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams might not return until next year. It is now clear that the two will be able to travel in a SpaceX capsule.

NASA colleagues flew to the space station in June on a Boeing Starliner. They were supposed to stay there for about a week. But technical problems prevented them from returning to Earth.

A lot went wrong during the capsule’s docking with the space station. There were problems with the rockets that propelled the capsule and helium was leaking. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the decision not to allow Butch and Sonny to return on the Starliner was made for safety reasons. The unmanned spacecraft will return after additional testing.

SpaceX’s Crew 9 mission is set to fly to the International Space Station in September. The launch of that capsule was pushed back from this month to next month, specifically because of all the problems that have been happening with the Starliner. The astronauts on the mission will stay on the space station for 180 days.

The SpaceX capsule mission will now be carried out by two astronauts instead of four as originally planned. That will allow Wymore and Williams to return to Earth with their crewmates in February 2025. It is not yet clear which of the three Americans and one Russian crew members of Crew 9 will have to give up their seats.