SpaceX to rescue stranded NASA astronauts in 2025
Two NASA astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station for more than two months are set to return to Earth in February 2025 with the assistance of SpaceX.Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who began their ISS mission on June 5, 2024, were originally scheduled to return in eight days. However, a series of issues with their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, has extended their mission by nearly eight months.
NASA announced that the Boeing Starliner, which was supposed to bring the astronauts back, will instead return to Earth without them. Several technical issues arose during the spacecraft's journey to the ISS, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. These challenges have kept engineers at Boeing and NASA busy for months as they work to resolve them.
Boeing and SpaceX have both received billion-dollar contracts from NASA to provide commercial space flights for its astronauts. Boeing's contract is worth $4.2 billion, and SpaceX received $2.6 billion. While SpaceX has successfully completed several crewed missions to the ISS, this was Boeing's first test flight of the Starliner with astronauts aboard.
Because of the unresolved issues with Starliner, NASA has decided that Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth via a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Their extended stay on the ISS allows SpaceX to prepare and launch its next vehicle, which is scheduled for the end of September. This mission was originally designed to carry four astronauts, but will now only carry two, leaving room for Williams and Wilmore to join the return trip in February.
While NASA and Boeing continue to work on resolving the Starliner's issues, the primary goal remains the safe return of the astronauts.
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