NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, will remain in space longer than initially planned. Originally scheduled to return after a week-long mission in June, their stay was extended to February 2025 due to technical issues with the Starliner. Now, a further delay in launching a new capsule means they won't return until late March or possibly April.

NASA assured that the delay poses no risk to the astronauts. The ISS recently received two resupply missions in November, ensuring the crew has ample supplies, including food, water, clothing, and oxygen. Special items were also sent for the crew to celebrate the holidays aboard the station.

Most ISS missions last six months, with some extending to a year.

The delay stems from a postponed launch of NASA's next crew of four, initially set for February 2025. The new crew's capsule was also supposed to bring Wilmore and Williams back, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. However, SpaceX's preparation of a new Dragon capsule for the mission has been delayed, with flight readiness now expected no earlier than late March.

“Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail,” NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said. “We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.”

NASA considered using a different SpaceX capsule to maintain the schedule but ultimately decided to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.

Brian Thomas