AREQUIPA, Peru – Two NASA astronauts stranded in space for more than two months will not be able to return to Earth until February 2025 on a SpaceX spacecraft.
A NASA statement, cited by BBC Worldreported that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft in which astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) will return to Earth “uncrewed.”
The technical problems with Starliner have led to the decision to extend the stay of the two astronauts on the ISS until February 2025 so they can return on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Both took off on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, but will now spend around eight months in orbit.
This ship was Boeing’s first attempt to send a manned mission into space after obtaining multimillion-dollar contracts from NASA to transport its astronautsBoeing’s contract was worth $4.2 billion, while Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, also contracted for this purpose, received $2.6 billion.
SpaceX, which has already flown nine manned flights into space for NASA, as well as some commercial missions, will now be responsible for returning Williams and Wilmore to Earth.
Boeing and NASA engineers have spent months trying to understand the technical problems with the Starliner spacecraft. They conducted tests and collected data, both in space as on Earth, in the hope of identifying the cause and finding a way to return the astronauts home safely aboard the Starliner, but ultimately another ship will transport them back.
Boeing’s Starliner has already been delayed for several years due to development setbacks. Previous unmanned flights have also suffered technical problems.
The aeronautical company said in a statement that it remains focused “on the safety of the crew and the spacecraft.”
