NASA announced that the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry WilmoreThe two astronauts, who were supposed to return to Earth after a short mission, will remain in space until February 2025, when They will return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft..
The mission was initially scheduled to last only eight days, but technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft caused it to Extending their stay on the International Space Station to eight months.
The Starliner spacecraft encountered problems during its journey to the space station, including leaks in the helium system and failures in some of the thrusters. Despite continued efforts by Boeing and NASA engineers to resolve these issues, it was decided that the astronauts would return to Earth in a SpaceX spacecraft, the company that has successfully sent nine manned flights to space for NASA.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a press conference that Boeing is working with NASA to identify improvements needed for the Starliner, stressing that spaceflight safety has been and remains a top priority.
Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to join Crew Dragon in February, after it launches in September with two other astronauts. Over the remaining months, the astronauts will continue to perform science and maintenance tasks on the station, and possibly do some spacewalks.
