NASA Astronauts Face Extended Stay on ISS as Starliner Woes Persist

Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's Starliner, will now spend another six months in orbit. Initially scheduled for a brief stay, their return has been delayed due to issues with the Starliner spacecraft.

Starliner's Troubled Mission

• Launch Date: June 5, from Kennedy Space Center aboard an Atlas V rocket.
• Mission Purpose: First crewed demonstration of Starliner, intended to compete with SpaceX for routine NASA missions.
• Issues: Problems with helium leaks and the propulsion system have prevented Starliner's return.

astronauts' Extended Stay

Wilmore and Williams, both veteran astronauts, were originally scheduled for a week-long stay. They will now remain on the ISS until February 2025, awaiting a ride home aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

• Wilmore and Williams: Both are Navy veterans with previous spaceflight experience. Williams has spent 322 days in space, while Wilmore has spent 178 days.
• Current ISS Crew: The astronauts are living among the seven members of Expedition 71, who arrived in April.

Starliner's Return and Future

The Starliner capsule will return to Earth autonomously in September to free up a docking port for the delayed SpaceX Crew-9 mission. NASA officials will review mission data to determine if Starliner can still be certified for future crewed missions.

• Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager: "This flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space... Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft.”
• Boeing's Response: Boeing has not participated in media conferences and last provided an update on August 2, expressing confidence in Starliner's return with crew.

Supplies and Voting from Space

NASA assures that Wilmore and Williams have sufficient supplies for their extended stay. They will also be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election from the ISS.

For more information, visit:

• NASA's Commercial Crew Program
• NASA Blog: Boeing Crew Flight Test
• NASA Blog: Crew-9
• NASA FAQ: Starliner
• Who Is In Space?
• Expedition 71
• Space Station Rotations
• Boeing's Starliner Updates

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com