They went to space for eight days - and could be stuck until 2025 (2024)

When two American astronauts blasted off on a test mission to the International Space Station on 5 June, they were expecting to be back home in a matter of days.

But things didn't quite go to plan.

In fact, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are still there, floating high above the Earth nearly two months later.

The pair - who are stuck indefinitely - now face the sudden prospect of missing the summer entirely and even spending Christmas and New Year in space.

Mr Wilmore, 61, and Ms Williams, 58, flew a Boeing Starliner spacecraft to the station. It was the first flight of its kind with people on board and was a test designed to see how the new spacecraft performs before it is used more regularly.

Problems, however, emerged as it made its approach. These included leaks in its propulsion system and some of its thrusters shutting down.

So while they made it to the space station safely, they will need an alternative mode of transport to get home if the Starliner is not deemed safe to return to Earth.

At a news briefing on Wednesday, Nasa officials said no firm decisions had been made when it comes to next steps.

"Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner," Steve Stich, manager of Nasa's Commercial Crew Program, said. "However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open.”

One potential option being considered, they said, is to attach the two astronauts to a mission that is scheduled to launch in September, and return them to earth with that mission in February 2025.

That flight to the space station will be made by a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft. The initial plan was for four crew members to be aboard, but two of the seats could be left empty if needed.

That plan would mean the astronauts would spend more than eight months – rather than eight days – aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

If the Crew Dragon is used, the Starliner craft would be returned to Earth without any crew, under computer control.

Nasa officials said it could take a week or more for a final decision to be made.

Ken Bowersox, Nasa's director of space operations, told reporters the chances of an uncrewed return of the Starliner “have increased a little bit based on where things have gone over the last week or two.”"That's why we're looking more closely at that option to make sure that we can handle it," he said.

Using a SpaceX craft to return the astronauts would be a blow to Boeing, which has for years tried to compete with the company and its more experienced Crew Dragon.

Earlier this week, Nasa used a SpaceX rocket to deliver more food and supplies to the ISS, including extra clothes for the two astronauts.

Last month, in a short press briefing, the pair said they were "absolutely confident” in the return trip and Starliner was “truly impressive.”

This is the third stint aboard the ISS for Ms Williams, a retired Navy helicopter pilot, while Mr Wilmore is a former fighter jet pilot who has been to space twice before.

“We've been thoroughly busy up here, integrated right into the crew,” Ms Williams told reporters during a recent briefing call.

“It feels like coming back home. It feels good to float around. It feels good to be in space and work up here with the International Space Station team," she said. "So yeah, it’s great to be up here.”

Boeing was hoping that the maiden Starliner mission would pave the way for regular use of its capsule for missions back and forth to the station. The Space X Crew Dragon has been approved for Nasa missions since 2020.

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Although the astronauts will spend much more time in space than they initially planned, others have spent much longer periods above the Earth's surface. Russian Valeri Polyakov spent 437 days in space in aboard the Mir space station in the mid-1990s.

Last year, Frank Rubio returned from the ISS after 371 days, the longest time an American has spent in space.

And Russia's Oleg Kononenko, also currently aboard the ISS, is the first person to have spent more than 1,000 days in space during the course of their career.

In their briefings and interviews, the two Americans have been upbeat about their situation. "I’m not complaining that we’re here for a couple extra weeks," Ms Williams said last month.

As things stand, the pair may be there for many more weeks to come.

They went to space for eight days - and could be stuck until 2025 (2024)

FAQs

They went to space for eight days - and could be stuck until 2025? ›

Astronauts may be stuck in space until 2025: What it could mean for their bodies. SPACE (KXAN) — For NASA astronauts

NASA astronauts
The NASA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and international space missions. It is based at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › NASA_Astronaut_Corps
Suni Williams
Suni Williams
Sunita Lyn Williams (née Pandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut, United States Navy officer, and former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman (seven) and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes).
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sunita_Williams
and Butch Wilmore, a two-week journey into space could soon become an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station.

What will happen in 2025 in space? ›

Spaceflight in 2025 promises to follow the 2020s trend of record breaking orbital launches and increased developments in lunar, Mars and low-earth orbit exploration. The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to carry four astronauts to perform a flyby of the Moon in 2025.

Why are the astronauts stuck in space right now? ›

Originally planned to last just eight days, leaks and other technical issues suffered by Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station have delayed the planned return flight by more than two months. And that has left its two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, stuck in space.

What happens every 176 years in space? ›

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Alignment

Calculations reveal it is possible for a spacecraft launched in the late 1970s to visit all four giant outer planets, using the gravity of each planet to swing the spacecraft on to the next. This alignment occurs once every 176 years.

What does NASA hope to do by 2025? ›

NASA will now target September 2025 for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, and September 2026 for Artemis III, which is planned to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. Artemis IV, the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station, remains on track for 2028.

How much do astronauts get paid? ›

What is the average NASA astronaut's salary? According to NASA, civilian astronaut salaries are determined by the US Government's pay scales – or more specifically grades GS-13 to GS-14. As of 2022, the GS-13 pay scale ranges from $81,216 to $105,579 per annum. This is up to $8,798.25 per month or $50.59 an hour.

What is the longest a human can stay in space? ›

The record for longest spaceflight overall is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov — 437 days in the mid-1990s. Rubio initially thought the mission would be six months long, but the spacecraft he was aboard began leaking coolant and NASA said it couldn't make a normal return to Earth.

Why can't astronauts stay in space for too long? ›

Bones and muscles weaken

Muscles weaken and bone mass decreases if you stay for a long time in space. Therefore, research is underway to verify, in space, the effects of existing drugs for preventing bone loss by astronauts.

Have any astronauts gone missing in space? ›

Actually in space? Zero. We've lost 17 astronauts (Cosmonauts are a different story) in spaceflight activities in atmosphere.

Why do astronauts fall in space? ›

They do fall. In fact, both the astronauts and the space station and all other things in orbit are constantly falling in exactly the same way as a rock falls to the ground when you drop it. We say that things in orbit are in a free fall.

Who is stranded in space? ›

The ISS is currently home to the Expedition 71 crew, and two Nasa astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni William, who are stuck on the station due to safety concerns over the Boeing Starliner capsule meant to take them home.

Who floated away in space? ›

This is the American astronaut Bruce McCandless II. It is 7 February 1984 and he is making the first untethered spacewalk using NASA's Manned Manuoeuvring Unit or MMU, a project his team has been working on since 1966.

How many members are lost in space? ›

In each of these accidents the entire crew was killed. As of November 2023, a total of 676 people have flown into space and 19 of them have died.

Which person was lost in space? ›

Vladimir Komarov was the first astronaut who died directly in space. This was the first mission of the Soviet Soyuz-1 spacecraft on 23rd April 1967.

What is space 2030? ›

The Space2030 agenda promises a step change in how space is considered in the UN system, with Member States laying out a vision to enhance the use of space science and technology for the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

What will be the future of space? ›

Further exploration will potentially involve expedition and the other planets and settlements on the Moon, as well as establishing mining and fueling outposts, particularly in the asteroid belt. Physical exploration outside the Solar System will be robotic for the foreseeable future.

What will NASA do in 2030? ›

NASA is readying to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s and the agency's first, yearlong simulated mission took one giant leap toward making that goal a reality.

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