NASA announced Wednesday that it has been unable to sufficiently repair the Boeing Starliner capsule and may not be able to bring astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams home until February 2025.
The original Starliner mission called for Wilmore and Williams to spend eight days in space, but a capsule malfunction made it impossible for the Starliner to undock from the International Space Station. It has now been more than eight weeks since the pair launched.
NASA’s primary option to bring Wilmore and Williams home involves a February 2025 SpaceX mission that would reduce its crew from four to two to make room for the stranded astronauts.
If approved, Wilmore and Williams’ eight day mission would extend to eight months, giving them an opportunity to spend Christmas and New Years among the stars.
