NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, will not return to Earth before March 19, 2025, according to NASA’s latest update.
Originally planned as an eight-day mission, their stay extended to nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. During this extended period, Williams took over as ISS commander in September 2024.
NASA has now arranged for their return aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since September 2024. The return was further delayed as the Crew-10 mission, which would bring their replacements, was postponed due to a hydraulics issue with the rocket. NASA now targets a March 14, 2025 launch for Crew-10.
The prolonged mission highlights the challenges of space travel and NASA’s growing reliance on commercial partners like SpaceX. However, despite the delays, both astronauts have assured that they do not feel stranded or abandoned.
