Sunita Williams' 10-Day ISS Mission Could Extend To 8 Months; After Starliner Fails, NASA Astronauts Can Rely On SpaceX

On Wednesday (7 August), NASA announced that the astronauts sent to the ISS on a 10-day mission might return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon in February 2025 if the Starliner remains unsafe for re-entry.

What was initially planned as a 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams aboard Boeing's Starliner could now possibly stretch to eight months.

Williams and Wilmore launched on Boeing's Starliner in June and have been stationed at the ISS since 6 June. However, the mission has been plagued by propulsion system issues, including a series of helium leaks, which have complicated the return schedule.

NASA is exploring various options for the astronauts' return, with one possibility being the use of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule. If implemented, the Crew Dragon would return to Earth with the Starliner crew in February 2025.

Currently, there are nine astronauts at the ISS, all safe with sufficient food and supplies, but they will eventually need to return to Earth.

The Starliner mission, launched in June as a critical test flight required for NASA's certification of the spacecraft for regular astronaut missions, was initially expected to last about eight days.

However, the mission has been extended due to the spacecraft's propulsion system problems as per a report by NDTV.

While at the ISS, veteran astronaut Sunita Williams, who is on her third space mission, has been conducting various experiments, including investigating the use of fluid physics, like surface tension, to manage the watering and nourishment of plants in the absence of gravity.