Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner, will not return to Earth until at least March 2025. The delay comes as NASA and SpaceX teams work to complete processing on a new Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-10 mission.
Initially launched in June, Wilmore and Williams’ trip was expected to last around eight to 10 days, but multiple issues with the Starliner forced them to stay on the ISS. In September, the capsule returned to Earth empty, and NASA waited for the Crew-9 mission to arrive with two additional astronauts before sending Wilmore and Williams back.
However, the Crew-9’s launch has been pushed back to “no earlier than late March 2025,” according to NASA. The delay allows the SpaceX teams time to complete processing on the new Dragon spacecraft and enables a smooth handover period between the Crew-9 and Crew-10 missions.
The Starliner program has faced significant challenges, including technical issues and budget shortfalls, since its development began. Although it finally launched, the capsule encountered helium leaks and thrust degradation in its propulsion system during its ISS visit.
NASA’s manager for the Commercial Crew Program, Steve Stich, acknowledged the complexity of spacecraft manufacturing, stating that “fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration is a painstaking endeavor.” The agency appreciates SpaceX’s efforts to expand the Dragon fleet and work collaboratively with the station program and expedition crews.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boeing-starliner-crew-return-to-earth-delayed-again-nasa-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams