NASA Extends Starliner Astronauts' Stay on ISS to Eight Months

NASA leaders announced Saturday that astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams will remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for an extended eight-month stay. The decision comes after a flight readiness review determined it was too risky for them to return to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

Wilmore and Williams, who arrived at the ISS on June 6 for a planned short stay, will now return in February. The Starliner will return to Earth uncrewed to free up a docking port for SpaceX Crew-9, scheduled to arrive on Sept. 24 for a six-month rotation mission. The Dragon capsule used by Crew-9 will also be Wilmore and Williams' ride home, as confirmed by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

"The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is result of a commitment to safety," Nelson said during the press conference. "Our core value is safety, and it is our North Star. And I'm grateful to NASA and to Boeing, for their teams, for all the incredible and detailed work to get to this decision."

This decision follows an additional flight readiness review, a rare mid-mission process, according to Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations. The review was necessary to assess Starliner's capability for a safe crewed return after issues were discovered post-docking.

Starliner's Troubles

The Starliner, designed to ferry crews and supplies to the ISS for NASA, encountered several problems even before its June 5 launch from Kennedy Space Center. After docking, engineers found helium leaks and propulsion system issues, delaying the craft's return to Earth.

These issues led NASA to postpone the SpaceX Crew-9 launch, initially planned for August, to Sept. 24 to accommodate the delayed Starliner undocking. The Starliner will now undock and return to Earth autonomously before the Dragon capsule arrives. Due to these changes, Crew-9 will consist of only two members instead of four, NASA said.

Wilmore and Williams will return on Feb. 25 with Crew-9 on the Dragon capsule after the SpaceX astronauts complete their six-month rotation. For more details, see NASA's update.