Boeing Starliner Astronauts’ Return Delayed Until March 2025 Following SpaceX Delay

NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams to remain aboard ISS until March 2025 after SpaceX delay

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 19 December 2024 14:00 IST

Boeing Starliner Astronauts’ Return Delayed Until March 2025 Following SpaceX Delay

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been in space since June 5, 2024

Highlights

Boeing Starliner crew's return delayed by SpaceX mission
NASA astronauts Wilmore, Williams stay on ISS until March
SpaceX delay pushes back Crew-10 mission, altering schedules

NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who embarked on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, will now extend their stay on the International Space Station (ISS) until March 2025. The return, initially set for February, has been postponed due to a delay in SpaceX's Crew-10 mission, NASA confirmed on December 17. The decision was attributed to ongoing work on a new Crew Dragon spacecraft, as per official statements.

Crew-10's Revised Timeline

Crew-10, which will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with JAXA's Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, is now scheduled for a late-March launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This adjustment pushes back Crew-9's return, leaving Wilmore and Williams aboard the ISS for approximately nine months instead of the originally planned 10-day mission.

The delay arose as SpaceX completes its latest Crew Dragon capsule, which is expected to arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in January 2025 for final processing and testing. Steve Stich, Manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, stated in the official release that fabricating and integrating a new spacecraft requires meticulous attention to detail.

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

Unexpected Mission Extension

Wilmore and Williams were integrated into the Crew-9 mission after their Starliner capsule, slated for an initial 10-day journey, encountered technical challenges. NASA's Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who launched aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom in September 2024, were joined by Wilmore and Williams during their prolonged mission.

This is not unprecedented; astronauts have previously faced extended ISS missions. Notable examples include Scott Kelly's year-long twin study in 2015-2016 and Frank Rubio's 365-day stay following complications with a Soyuz spacecraft.

SpaceX's expanding Crew Dragon fleet is expected to enhance mission flexibility, allowing NASA greater adaptability in managing ISS operations and addressing unforeseen delays.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.